Thicker Than Blood
by JD909626
Summary: Dr. Cullen waits 30 years to find the woman of his dreams and is immediately besotted. Will his instant attraction mean anything if he meets said woman as his patient at an inner city abortion clinic? Can he help his girl and still protect his heart?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All Twilight characters and core personality traits are the property of SM. I own nothing, nor do I plan on profiting from using her work. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Ok. For some of you this story is going to be familiar as it was posted a few months back before I pulled it. I was having some serious academic issues and wasn't sure I'd was going to be able to continue writing it. Not wanting to get more people invested in reading a work that wasn't going any where, I pulled the story. So please forgive me, any of you that found it missing, and know that I have resolved my problems and will be seeing this story all the way through in a timely manor. Guaranteed.**

**The previous chapters were just significantly too long and difficult to read in one sitting so I halved most of them and will begging posting every other day, starting with the first 3 chapters. I think the start of this story lacks some of the maturity I would expect in my writing had I written it today but a lot of people seemed to have been enjoying it so I'm going to look the other way and try to pull it together the best I can. Thanks so much for all the support.**

January 20th, 2011- **Nise7465 **has been kind enough to not only Beta my new chapters but also volunteered to painstakingly read her way through Thicker Than Blood's old chapters and make the needed corrections. This chapter has been beta'ed by her and I will be switching out old unedited chapters as she gets them to me. Hope you all appreciate her work to make this story more enjoyable as much as I do! If you haven't come across her stories yet they are worth seeking out. -JD

oOoOoOoOo

Dr. Edward Cullen groaned in frustration as he stepped out his front door and was immediately greeted by comforting warm air. It was only 7am, too early for the sun to have possibly battled its way through the thick Seattle cloud cover, but he'd bet his Mercedes it would be absolutely beautiful by midday.

The thought made his blood boil.

There were two reasons the lovely weather had Edward ready to punch a hole in something, the first being the fact that this rare sunny day would be entirely lost on him. The only rays his skin would be absorbing today would be cast from the harsh florescent bulbs of a depressingly filthy clinic.

Many of Edward's co-workers would insist that this was his own fault, that when you ignore the hospital's required service hours until the administrator finally notices, you end up spending your whole day off working at the most undesirable location as punishment. But Edward didn't buy into that. He'd spent three years starving in college, barely sleeping through med school, and making a bartender's salary paying his dues as a resident, just to finally end up doing what he'd set out to do 10 years and 120 grand in tuition later. As he saw it, he'd already done his part. _This_ was an injustice.

The accompanying reason for his grudge against the sun was due to the individuals who he knew _would _be taking advantage of the storm cloud's ceasefire. He had learned, from previous involuntary -volunteering at this women's clinic, that bright skies brought out the anti-abortionists by the busloads. They'd have the place surrounded by the time he arrived for his shift.

Edward was an OB/GYN. He'd never preformed any part of an elective abortion in his life, nor did he plan to in any foreseeable future. The women he treated in his usual practice were typically extremely pleased to be expecting mothers and Dr. Cullen happily assisted them in ensuring a healthy pregnancy. He was just volunteering at the inner city free clinic 'out of the goodness of his heart', or for the image of his hospital, depending on whom was asked. The clinic depended on volunteers from sister hospitals and he'd no doubt spend his day prescribing birth control to already sexually active teens and performing physicals on low income women who wouldn't be able to afford to see a doctor any other way.

This fact meant nothing to the activists outside. It didn't matter whether one was there for a completely unrelated treatment. If they were going into the building they were crossing a line, and if they were a_ doctor _going into the building they were the sworn enemy.

Edward hated passing through the rowdy protesters. He swore to his co-workers it would be just his luck that on the day he'd gotten stuck volunteering at a clinic that happens to perform abortions there would be an activist bombing. The possibility made him nervous. Not to mention how much he hated to see them heckle the women that needed to go into the building to receive care. He got it… stand up for what you believe in; but don't force your views on others with scare tactics and accusations. These women didn't need that.

He rounded the front path of his expansive driveway to his garage yielding the pair of keys he seldom utilized. He bypassed his Benz, the Beemer, and the Audi and eased him self into the leather seat of his silver Volvo. Cars were one of Edward's indulgences and even the Volvo, his commuter car, wasn't cheep, but he didn't feel comfortable taking his other babies into the part of the city he was being forced into today. Even if the clinic's staff were offered under ground parking he thought he might want to make a lunch run and had no intentions of going any where on foot with the hawks waiting out side.

His drive into the city was a taxing commute as always. He was young, single, and had more money than he'd ever cared to have so his friends and family frequently chastised him for purchasing a home in a neighboring community and not utilizing the convenience that a large loft in the city would bring him. But Edward loved his home, it was too large for just him but he felt he needed a retreat at the end of the day, even if he had to drive an hour to get to it. Some day, when his hours weren't so demanding, he hoped to get a dog. A canine companion sounded infinitely better then his mother's constant suggestion that he find a wife.

As he approached his destination he eyed the clock on the dashboard hopefully and hissed when he realized there wouldn't be time to stop for a decent cup of coffee. He was sure the slush from the clinic staff room was going to make _him_ need medical assistance…

He scanned his surroundings with distaste. The area wasn't the best, the streets were dirty and the establishments that lined them reeked of poverty. His hospital was in a much more desirable part of the city and he seldom ventured down this way. As he pulled up to a stoplight and got an eye full of grimy looking pedestrians he tried to inconspicuously check to make sure his car doors were locked.

His heart raced lightly as he turned on to his desired block.

The group outside, graphic signs included, was visible from the opposite corner.

As he neared he tried not to look at the impressive crowd, but they were hard to ignore.

It was a Tuesday morning and it aggravated him to no end to see that the people gathered were not working nor searching for employment, they found it more prudent to stand along the side of the road with signs that read _'Honk if you think its wrong to kill babies'. _He wondered acidly how many of them were collecting welfare or unemployment.

He pulled up right in front of them, stopped by a long line of cars halted at a red light that were keeping him from reaching the driveway at the end of the block. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, having never been so happy to not be a recognized regular at that clinic. They were so close he felt like a fox that ended up within sniffing distance of the searching hounds. He shifted his gaze out of nervousness, whether he expected one to suddenly run at him, he wasn't sure, but when he looked over he was relieved to see that their attention was directed elsewhere…

Relived until he saw what had been caught in their scorn.

She was beautiful.

More than that, even from a distance, she was absolutely stunning. The young woman was tiny with perfect pale skin and striking, long, red-brown hair. She was wearing the loveliest red coat, despite the warmth of the day, pulled tightly around her little body like it would protect her from harm.

Edward knew she didn't belong here. In fact, for a moment, he thought he had imagined her. A divine little angel in a blood red coat, put there just to brighten his dreadful morning.

Then _they_ descended on her.

It happened fast. While at first he was rendered uncomprehending by her glow, he was suddenly aware of the scene playing out beyond his window. She was alone and visibly uneasy, trying to work her way through the crowd without incident but they were hell-bent on confronting her. Even from the safety of his warm car he could hear their heckling, their taunting.

His mind shifted quickly between self preservation and the sudden impulse to rescue this tiny, defenseless stranger.

Then he saw them _touch_ her. Careful to not outwardly lay a hand on her, a few shouldered and bumped her when she tried to make her way through the mob without heeding their attempts to engage her.

He lost it.

Before he could think better of it, he pulled his car out of the line up and into the tiny space allotted for a bike lane, one front tire rammed over the curb. All eyes turned away from the girl as he threw him self out of the Volvo. His first focus was on a pair of devastatingly lovely brown eyes that grew instantly large with shock and relief.

"Get in the car, sweetheart," he told the stranger softly, trying his best to not frighten her further. To his relief and utter shock her little form, clad in red, brushed past him immediately and retreated into the still-running Volvo.

Once he knew she was safe his anger was over whelming, and the protesters did nothing to improve their situation.

A portly, middle-aged man with a huge 'pro-life' sign eyed the doctor's hospital scrubs in a quick assessment. He looked comical in comparison to Edward regal form. "Well this is new. I didn't know you killers offered a pickup service. Are you going to take her inside or just cut her open in the parking lot?" he chided nervously, drawing strength from the group who murmured in agreement behind him.

Edward walked up to him quickly, stopping only a foot away from his offensive girth. His fists balled at his sides, fighting the desire to swing, he wasn't an impulsive man but a man all the same. Edward was easily a half a foot taller than his sudden rival and radiating hostility out of his every pore. The man recoiled noticeably.

"Listen you useless pieces of trash, I'm already going to call the police the moment I get inside but if any of you so much as thinks about touching any of the women that come through here looking for help between now and when they arrive, I'll personally come out side and snap your mother fucking necks." he seethed with undeniable venom.

The threat that his words could earn him a law suit only registered after the sentence had left his mouth. Thankfully the man immediately backed into the group, mindful of the warning and Edward's impressive build. He pressed on, still angry.

"I hope I've made my self clear. I suggest you get the fuck out of here before the cops come and detain your miserable asses for man-handling a defenseless little girl but if you're too fucking stupid to save your own goddamn necks then stick around. I'd love to see them drag your 'God fearing' asses off for assault."

The group was silent as he turned to leave. He felt uncomfortable bearing his back to them but was sure they were all too big of cowards to pick on anything larger than a 110lb girl.

The girl.

She was sitting in his car.

Edward's heart faltered as he climbed in next to her and slammed his door shut. The traffic was just as bad as it had been when he got stopped in the first place so he pulled into the line of cars and waited for the light.

"Are you ok?" he asked her, trying to calm down. He looked over at her and almost gasped. If he had thought she had been an angel from a distance she was nothing short of a goddess when viewed closely. Her eyes were huge, chocolate brown and impossibly deep as they examined his features tentatively with no small amount of awkwardness.

She looked a little shaken and visibly flushed, whether from being accosted by a group of people who accused her of being a whore and a child killer or from suddenly ending up in a car with someone she could assess as mentally unstable, Edward wasn't sure. The gentle pink of her cheeks was painfully beautiful over her ivory skin. If he hadn't been so worried about her he would have been shocked by his instant attraction to her. He was positive she was the most perfect little female he'd ever seen, like a doll.

She blinked rapidly at him with his now favorite pair of eyes. He gave her a reassuring grin. Her answering smile was breathtaking.

"I'm fine now. You saved me," she beamed with a touch of admiration. He almost laughed because her voice was so sweet, like music, her appeal was almost humorous in its intensity. He needed to hear her speak again.

"I'm sorry you had to go though that. Bunch of useless wastes of air, the whole lot of them," he apologized a little more forcefully than necessary, still appalled by their actions. She smiled kindly.

"I guess they're just fighting for what they believe in," the perfect girl said diplomatically. "I don't think I can really blame them for that," she added in a softer voice, more to her self than Edward.

"I guess not. I've never seen them touch any one before. They're normally just full of unsolicited opinions but that was one of the larger gatherings I've seen and I think they tend to feed off each other. It's not safe."

"Mhmmm… probably not good circumstances to evoke a pack mentality," she mused as the traffic started moving. "I am trying to go into that building though so if you could just drop me off at the entrance that would be more than kind of you."

"I'm going into that building too. Personnel parks inside, for obvious reasons, I'll drop you off at the elevator before I go sign in," he reassured her while pulling into the drive way.

Part of him wanted to know why she was going into a free clinic in an underprivileged part of Seattle. It was daft of him to think that beauty would exempt one from poverty but she was far too precious to not be well cared for. Perhaps she was looking to volunteer…

"Oh, so you're a…"

"Doctor. Yeah. I don't normally work at this clinic though; I'm an obstetrician at much larger hospital downtown. We have certain amount of hours they like us to give back to the community, so they send me here every few months," he offered, hoping his openness would invoke her own. He unexplainably wanted to know more about her but once the words escaped his mouth he realized that he sounded like he was bragging, not to mention more-or-less renouncing the clinic she could very possibly be working at… That would have explained the protestor's aggression.

"Well I'm very glad today was your day," she smiled sheepishly, complementing but giving nothing away. "Thank you again, Dr…"

"Cullen. I'm Edward Cullen. You can call me Edward…" he rambled, feeling like an idiot. Her presence made it difficult for him think and he suddenly wondered if it was even safe for him to be driving while under the influence of the little angel. He thought that if her sweet strawberry scent that filled his car wasn't considered a mind altering substance, it should have been.

"Bella Swan."

Edward smirked. "So are you ready for the line?"

Bella laughed lightly and he knew she knew exactly what he was referring to.

"Hit me."

"Bella…that means beautiful in Italian. It suits you…" he drawled in the sleaziest voice he could muster, and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

She snorted adorably. "You have no clue how often I get that…"

"I can only imagine. It really is a beautiful name though. Don't let cheesy pick up lines ruin it for you," he said with complete honesty.

"Thank you."

He pulled into an available spot as a troublesome thought occurred to him.

"You can do me a favor. To thank me," he told her, turning off the car and angling his body to look at her closely. He instantly regretted the combination of words and actions.

She looked at him wide eyed and shifted nervously. "Oh?" she inquired with a small voice.

"Yes. Please don't hop into cars with strange men. I'd never hurt you but you didn't know that, Bella. You're far too lovely to be so trusting," he plead.

Her face burned red with embarrassment while simultaneously grinning with relief. He was happily taking in the sight when he saw her hand move for the door handle.

She was leaving him.

"Well thank you for the rescue Edward, and a double thanks for not killing me and chopping my body into unrecognizable bits," she teased with a grin, then lifted her self from the car and began to walk away from him. "Bye, Dr. Cullen," she smiled through the door.

His ability to form a coherent sentence to stop her failed miserably as he panicked. He'd _never_ had to try to get a woman's attention before. He seldom wanted all the attention he did get. The wrong kind of women flocked to good looks, money, and power and he had all those things. Edward Cullen spent too much time turning down even the most attractive members of the fairer sex, normally not willing to waste his patience on unfulfilling relationships, but he had just taken a rare and immediate interest in the most exquisite little beauty and she just walked away from _him_ without a backwards glance.

Was this karma?

Her absence felt like a loss but he was now running late so Edward forced him self out of the car and walked reluctantly to the back elevator. He knew he was pouting; he wanted to see her again. Bella Swan. She'd given him her full name; did that mean he had permission to look her up?

_Was there a Mr. Swan? _He groaned outwardly at the thought. He hadn't considered looking at her ring finger; he hadn't been able to peel his eyes off that flawless face, those deep chocolate eyes. Of course someone like her wasn't available. She was some else's angel. Some one out there adored her.

Dr. Cullen walked grudgingly into the empty service elevator and used the solitary 30 seconds to compose him self. Today would not be good.

oOoOoOoOo

January 20th, 2011- **Nise7465 **has been kind enough to not only Beta my new chapters but also volunteered to painstakingly read her way through Thicker Than Blood's old chapters and make the needed corrections. This chapter has been beta'ed by her and I will be switching out old unedited chapters as she gets them to me. Hope you all appreciate her work to make this story more enjoyable as much as I do! If you haven't come across her stories yet they are worth seeking out. -JD


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All Twilight characters and core personality traits are the property of SM. I own nothing, nor do I plan on profiting from using her work. No copyright infringement is intended. 

**Nise7465 has been here! Beta'ed October 1, 2011. **

"Miss…. Brower, I see you're interested in starting with a regular contraceptive. Did you already have a particular form in mind?" Dr. Cullen asked a stringy blonde girl after glancing down at the forms she had filled out in the waiting room. She must have been his 20th patient of the day. He wondered briefly how many more he'd have to fit in before the clinic closed in an hour.

"No," she answered disinterested, chewing obnoxiously on a piece of gum. He glanced at the photo copied I.D. stapled to her paper work. She was only 17.

"Well, is there any reason in particular for your interest in starting on contraceptives? Menstrual crams, excessively heavy flow…" he suggested, hoping to get some incite as to what he should recommend.

"No," she looked unabashed, "just something to keep me from getting knocked up."

"Uh, alright. Are you currently sexually active?" he inquired professionally, his pen poised to report on the chart.

"Yeah." She answered, eyeing the young, handsome doctor suggestively. He shifted, feeling unendingly uncomfortable. Her answer didn't surprise him…

"Ok, and are you currently using any form of temporary contraception?"

"Uhhh, yeah. They always pull out," she said matter-of-factly. He almost groaned at the danger the girl was putting her self in. Not only was 'pulling out' an extremely poor method of preventing pregnancy it offered absolutely no protection against sexually transmitted disease.

He knew from professional experience that there were worse outcomes to unprotected sex than pregnancy. Being responsible for a new little life was surprising less traumatic than finding out you could lose your life to an HPV induced cervical cancer, or getting the option of having children with your future husband taken away from you because you devolved pelvic inflammatory disease from a untreated case of Gonorrhea or Chlamydia.

Did these women put them selves at risk because of lack of education on the subject or did they just not care? Not think it could happen to them? The doctor realized quickly after a long day of similar interactions that many of them were not interested in his lecture, just his services and his signature.

He gave the girl a pap and a depo shot she would only need to get once every three months. Something about her made him reluctant to trust her with the responsibility of a daily pill. He also highly recommended she consistently use condoms, to which she shrugged dismissively with an 'It doesn't feel as good'.

Dr. Cullen sincerely hoped for the girl's safety as he followed her to the front office to collect his next patient. In his regular practice they would already be prepped and waiting for him but he learned that with low funding came inefficiency. He entered as the receptionist, Mrs. Cope, was addressing the still crowded waiting room with an announcement.

"I'm afraid that due to budget cuts and understaffing we'll only be able to take the next 10 patients on my sign-in list. If you are not signed before slot fifty-eight, I'm sorry but we will not be able to see you today. If you could just hold on to your paperwork until your next visit…" the room exploded in shouts of dissatisfaction. There must have been forty or so women left, some of which had been waiting all day.

She spoke up as most shot out of their seats and moved angrily to the exit.

"If you believe yours is an emergency situation there is an all hours emergency room a block south from us. Once again, we are sorry for the inconvenience."

Dr. Cullen looked on as the women took in the news. Most looked pissed, some just looked deeply disappointed. He felt awful. He thought about his mother and how she had spent the last years of her life living like this, competing for health care with other women who also couldn't afford it.

He got a glimpse of a red coat as he was about to turn away and directed his attention to Bella Swan as she was sitting up to leave. She was wearing a different expression than the dejected women around her, she almost looked… relieved. She was still there and apparently she _was_ at the clinic to receive medical attention. Edward was appalled that she was being sent away after waiting through his entire shift. He wouldn't have that.

He glanced down at the sheet to discover she was slot fifty-nine, just one person away from being included on the shortened list. _Isabella Swan_, it read. He thought her full name was even more beautiful.

Edward turned to Mrs. Cope. "Call this woman and tell her to stay," he said with authority, pointing to Bella's name.

She looked at him in shock. "I-I can't Dr. Cullen, we don't have-"

"I'll take on an extra. Send her back right away, I'll be waiting for her in room four," he turned and left without giving her an opportunity for argument. He smirked when he heard the old receptionist frantically calling Isabella's name.

As he waited for Bella to come in he realized it wasn't such a good idea for him to be treating her himself. He was blatantly attracted to her and it was unprofessional and unethical for him to desire someone who was trusting him with such an intimate part of her care. He was suddenly very glad he hadn't gotten an opportunity to ask her for her number earlier. At least now he was confident he could remain professional so that he wouldn't make her uncomfortable.

It's not like he could give her a vaginal exam and then ask her if she had plans for later tonight.

After a few minutes, in which the doctor knew one of the nurses was recording Bella's height and weight, the two of them walked into the small exam room.

The nurse, who had earlier tried to seductively purr that her name was Heidi while leaning far too close into the uninterested doctor, swaggered over to him with swinging hips to deliver Bella's paper work. He tried not to roll his eyes but lost the battle as she walked away swaying her ass. Bella giggled from the exam chair, having obviously been watching the exchange.

"I thought you might be the reason they were mysteriously able to fit in another person," she teased gently. He looked up at her soft little smile and grinned back. But even through her weakly cheerful exterior he could tell she was putting up a front, her eyes looked unbelievably sad. _Probably from being left sitting around all day._ He grumbled inwardly.

"I'm sorry you've nearly wasted your whole day. I didn't know you were still here…" He tried to apologize sheepishly. He had been thinking about her all morning, he would have taken care of her much earlier if he had known.

She shook her head and dismissed his rambling. "I understand you're all very busy. Thank you for seeing me," she said with a small voice, the sadness tangible. He finally looked down at her paper work to see what she had come in for.

She was only nineteen, he discovered. He felt dirty for looking at her the way he had been. Edward was over ten years older than her and had been shamelessly admiring her beauty. Even with this latest development he couldn't help but make note of the fact that she had entered her marital status as 'single'.

He let his eyes drop to the bottom of the page and felt his whole body go ridged. Where he had expected to see a request for birth control pills or a yearly physical he instead read something he absolutely hadn't been expecting.

Bella Swan was there for the required check-up needed to schedule an abortion.

Dr. Cullen felt the blood rush out of his face but tried to control all signs of outward reaction, instead pretending to review the family medical history and allergies to medication section.

Bella was pregnant. And she wasn't planning on continuing with her pregnancy. The Doctor humorously noted that the protesters were better at picking out specific targets than he originally thought…

He didn't have much experience with these situations, they had regular staff there that were especially trained to handle the abortion cases and under normal circumstances they would have assigned Bella to someone else. He was more than qualified to perform the exam, he only had to confirm she was pregnant, execute an ultrasound if she was close enough to the cutoff point, take a blood sample, and answer any of her questions. He just didn't know what kind of bed side manor was appropriate for this type of conversation. How was he supposed to talk to her about the procedure? Matter-of-factly? Sympathetically? He realized she was waiting for him to do _something_.

"Ok. Ms. Swan, I just have a few questions and then we'll start a quick exam. Can you tell me how far along you are?" he asked her in a clipped, professional tone. But when he looked up at her his expression softened. She looked terrified, her red coat still pulled tightly around her, like a shield. Again he was sure she was the most beautiful little creature he'd ever seen. He couldn't help but wonder about the events in her life that lead up to where she was today. Nineteen years old, expecting, and sitting alone in a cold white exam room. Where was the father? Where was _her_ father?

"Ten weeks and four days," she answered with certainty. Dr. Cullen was surprised she knew the exact date of conception. Most women couldn't tell him that.

"Will this be your first abortion?"

"Yes," she said as if in pain. He tried to give her a reassuring smile as he marked her answer. He had to ask these questions but it felt cruel.

"First pregnancy?"

"Yes"

"Have you any history of serious illness?"

"No"

"Have had any prolonged hospital stays?"

She sighed. "I've broken more bones than the average extreme sports enthusiast but other then that, no. I'm not unhealthy, just clumsy," she admitted. He tried not to laugh, remembering having to rescue her that morning. She was apparently a magnet for trouble. This fact made her even more unbearably adorable.

"Are you currently taking any medication?"

"No."

"Uh, Recreational drug use or alcohol consumption?"

"Never," she answered clearly. As young and relatively inexperienced as Dr. Cullen was, even he knew better than to believe that more than half of his patients answered that question truthfully, but he believed Isabella one hundred percent. Even sitting there, admittedly two and a half months pregnant and clearly husbandless, she looked like the most innocent little thing in the world to him. Sweet, and kind, and just all around... _good_. Edward was exceptionally skilled at reading people, a talent that often led to self induced isolation, and he rarely felt so at ease around a stranger. She just _calmed_ him.

"Have you considered the type of abortion procedure you're interested in?" he asked, avoiding eye contact now. He hoped she had done her home work. He wasn't looking forward to running through all her options if she hadn't.

"Uh, yes. I'd read that the aspiration procedure was preferable," she answered in a barely audible voice.

"It's what they recommend here. Are you familiar with the details involved with the procedure or do you have questions? Whom ever administers the operation will be sure to go over the specifics in detail beforehand but I can answer any questions you may have until then," he offered reluctantly. It wasn't that he didn't want to help her, he just wasn't sure he knew how to go from treating women whom had worked for months, in some cases years for their pregnancies, to a girl, who for her own reasons, was looking to end hers.

"No, I- I read up on it. I think it's quite clear," she stuttered, obviously as uncomfortable about going into detail as he was.

He nodded. "Alright, well if I could ask you to remove your coat and lean back on the table I just need to do a quick pelvic exam to confirm your pregnancy and then I'll take a blood sample they'll need to give the go ahead to schedule the procedure."

The girl looked as pale as a ghost as she pulled off her red armor and leaned back onto the table, the sanitary paper crinkling beneath her slight form. Without her coat she was thin, too thin for her height, excepting or not. The subtle swell of her abdomen would not have been visible if she had the proper amount of weight on her. She looked generally clean and well cared for other wise so he had a feeling that it was stress that was keeping her thin and not a life time of malnutrition.

He put on gloves before pulling her shirt up to probe gently at her slightly rounded stomach. She trembled noticeably under his light touch and he was suddenly over come with anger that the little angel was going through such a terrifying experience scared and alone. It wasn't right and Edward felt a very foreign surge of protectiveness towards the girl. A feeling once reserved solely for his family.

His fingers pushed harmlessly against her belly, feeling for the noticeably enlarged and hardened contours of her uterus, the tell-tale sign of new life as her body prepared to protect her child throughout her pregnancy.

She cringed and averted her eyes as he drew the blood sample. She was noticeably squeamish so he was happy for her when they were all done.

"Ok, we're all finished, everything looks fine," he reassured her distractedly as he turned his back to labeled and beg her sample. "The Clinic performs its procedures on Thursday's so you can schedule an appointment at the front desk before you leave. They'll need to get you in within the next two weeks or you'll have to re-do your preliminary exam and blood work. I recommend getting as early of a slot as possible as we'll need you to fast from midnight the morning of, until the procedure is done. You'll also need someone to drive you to and from your appointment as they will not release you by your self after you've been under anesthesia…"

He looked up, ready to ask her if she had any last minute questions, and panicked. She was curled up into a little ball on the table, clutching her stomach and sobbing so hard she produced no sound. Edward rushed to her side with a sick feeling resonating throughout his entire body and fought the almost consuming urge to pull her into his arms.

The doctor's first thought was that she was in pain, the way she was holding her stomach. She was a bit far along for an ectopic pregnancy, but if she had gotten the date wrong… A sense of dread enveloped him.

"Bella, you have to show me where it hurts. Please tell me what you're feeling," he begged, kneeling at her side, his hands frantically moving around her as his stunned brain ran quickly through the pros and cons of touching the girl.

She continued to cry but shook her head gently to answer his plea. _She wasn't in pain_… he reappraise the scene.

Bella sobbing and curled into a defensive ball, clutching her stomach.

It hit him then. She wasn't holding her stomach in pain; she was repeating a gesture he had seen the women in his practice do countless times. She was caressing her belly protectively.

He realized her hurt was entirely emotional, and for some reason, seeing her like that, his agony nearly matched her own. He lost every hope of professionalism and wrapped his arms around her. She melted into him instantly as he rubbed his hand over her tiny back to try and comfort her as she buried her face in his neck.

He was over come by the surge of comfort that dictated she belonged there. It was illogical and ridiculous, but like nothing he'd ever felt before.

Malpractice law suits be damned, he couldn't see her like that and do nothing. Not her.

She wanted her child. It was evident in every tear that poured out of her lovely brown eyes. What ever circumstances that were forcing her to consider giving up her baby weren't strong enough to overcome the maternal love she already felt towards it.

As a doctor, it wasn't his place to suggest his nonmedical opinion. If he was to talk her out of the procedure and she was to regret not going through with it later, she would be well within her rights to sue him for misconduct, especially with a subject as controversial as abortion. He could lose his medical license.

But as Edward held her little shaking body in his arms he knew he didn't care. This girl needed someone to tell her that she didn't have to go through with this, and since it was obvious she didn't have anyone else, he'd be that person for her. He thought, ridiculously, that he'd probably do anything for this gorgeous little stranger.

"Bella, please stop crying," he cooed, running his fingers comfortingly through her beautiful long hair, "You don't have to do this, Bella. You don't have to let anyone take your baby away from you. No one can make you do anything if you want to keep your child. You don't need to cry like this," he promised, trying to get her to look him in the eyes.

"You don't understand," she whimpered into his neck, holding onto him tightly, "I don't have anything. I can barely feed my self right now. I have nothing to give this baby. I can't even afford to give it life," she admitted, shamefaced. It was very obvious she was trying to convince her self she was doing the right thing and not Edward.

Her situation was unacceptable. Why wasn't someone taking care of her? Worshiping her? Holding her hand as she excitedly listened to the first magnified beats of her child's tiny heart? _Fucking _feeding_ her? _

Edward tried to control the rage that tore through him.

"Bella please let me take you to dinner tonight. I don't get off for another 45 minutes but I can sit you down in the lounge until I'm done and I'll come get you as soon as I can," he reasoned aloud.

She sniffled into his chest and looked up at him, her deep brown eyes full of pain but still devastatingly striking. "No, Edward, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall apart like that. I'm so sor-"

"Don't apologize, Bella, and don't say no. We need to talk but I really can't right now. Please don't leave like this. Please wait for me," he begged, his voice teeming with sincerity. She looked taken aback by his concern. Truthfully, he was just as surprised as she was… "Please, Bella. I won't have you wait long. Do you have some where you need to be?" he checked.

She shook her head.

"Good. Come with me," he pulled away from her slowly and picked up her coat. He held it open for her as she slowly composed her self and worked her arms into the sleeves. He couldn't stop him self from gently pulling the soft curls of her hair out of the coat for her. She was still crying but she leaned back into him minutely.

He led her out into the hallway and down to the staff room. It was nearly the end of the day and no one was in there, which suited his plan just fine. He didn't know what he was going to do but he knew he couldn't let Bella go and not know what became of her. He'd never taken responsibly for another person out side of his professional setting before, or even cared enough to go out of his way, but she was different, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he turned his back on those scared brown eyes.

He _needed_ her to be ok.

He sat her down on the most comfortable looking sofa he could find. The room was dirty by his standards and well used. He didn't like the thought of leaving something so beautiful in a place so undeserving of her presence but he knew he'd be back for her soon. He ran over to the crowded fridge and pulled out a fruit salad he had bought himself for lunch but didn't have time to eat. He was thankful they seemed to leave the volunteer's food alone; at his work anything left unattended was fair game.

He approached her slowly, kneeling down in front of her submissively. He felt like she could run at any moment if he wasn't careful.

"Bella, please sit here and wait till my shift's over. I just have a few more people to see and then I promise I'll get us out of here."

She looked at the door like she was already planning an escape. "I'm so sorry. You don't need to do this. I didn't mean to freak out on you back there, it was just too much for a moment but I'm better now," she reasoned franticly. She looked beyond embarrassed. He would have done anything to ease her anxiety.

"Just one dinner, Bella. That's all I'm asking."

"You don't have to inconvenience your self, Edward. I can take care of my self. I know it probably doesn't look like it…" she cut off, staring at her hands fidgeting nervously in her lap. He carefully placed his finger on the tip of her chin and lifted her face to look at him. His whole body tingled at the contact.

"I know you don't know me very well but I assure you I'm a generally selfish creature. I'm asking you to wait because I would very much enjoy your company tonight, Miss. Swan. Have dinner with me and give me someone worth talking to," he pled with sincerity. He really did feel a draw to her, one that extended past the illogical physical attraction.

Edward gave Bella a smile that had worked on countless women before her and hoped that general good looks and a doctor's reputation would be enough to get her to trust him until he gave her legitimate reason to. She smiled back softly, clearly won over by his model worthy grin and soft green eyes.

"But you're the one that told me I was lucky to have made it out of your car alive this morning. Aren't I not supposed to go off trusting strange men?" she joked half heartedly. Edward was delighted by her slight change in demeanor.

"We'll I was hoping you'd let me be the exception to that rule. You know… just have a little faith that I didn't save you from being beaten by an unruly mob only to kill you myself," he beamed at her with a wistful lightheartedness. Her breath caught audibly.

"Ok, I can do that," she nearly whispered.

"Great," he grinned. "Today's looking up for me after all."

"I'll just wait for you here?" she questioned with a subtle excitement in her voice.

"Don't move an inch. If any one asks you why you're in here tell them you're waiting for your boyfriend, eh, use my name if you don't mind," he told her sheepishly. She blushed.

"I'm sorry to make you wait but I promise I'll be back as soon as I can get away. I bought this earlier but didn't have time to eat it, please munch on it so you're not famished by the time we get to the restaurant. You've been sitting in that waiting room all day and starving your self isn't good for you or your baby, Bella," he commanded, handing her the package of fruit and a plastic fork. She took it hesitantly and nodded, hunger winning out over pride.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me, just don't leave. I'll be incredibly disappointed if you've taken off on me before I get back. Alright? Promise?" he looked her in the eyes to convey his seriousness.

"I'll be here," she assured him, meekly. He took her hand and gave it one last gentle squeeze. Edward walked away praying she'd be there when he came back for her and equally as perplexed as to what he was going to do with her when he did.

….

"You'll need to take this daily at a specifically allotted time. We recommend every night before your typical bed time because sleeping through the worst of them will counter some of the reported side effects, like breast tenderness," Dr. Cullen told his last patient while glancing nervously at the clock above her head.

5:15. He had left Bella over an hour ago and was anxious to get back to her.

"You'll want to start on the pills the Sunday after your next menstrual cycle and we'll need to see you back a month after that in order to check for any significant rise in your blood pressure. Any questions?"

_Please don't have any questions… _

She shook her head and moved to the door. He followed her out to the front with an intense sense of relief, not because the day was over, but because he'd get to see Bella again, his beautiful mystery.

"If that was the last of them, I'll be off, Mrs. Cope," he told the receptionist out of courtesy.

"That's fine, dear, you've earned it. It was a pleasure working with you as always. We'll see you back in a few months," she teased indulgently. _Old bat._

He nearly ran down the hall to the staff room, having given up all hope of retaining the sense of work place dignity he normally lived by.

His heart sank when he swung into the room.

No red coat. She was gone. _Fuck_.

Edward stood in the door, staring at the empty sofa, disappointment and fear coursing through him more powerfully than he'd ever experienced in his life.

"Edward. Are you all finished here?" the nurse, Heidi, purred from across the room, jarring him from his anguish. He hadn't noticed her there.

"Uh, yeah. I'm all set. Listen, there was a girl here a moment ago, dark hair and eyes, red coat… did you see her?" he asked trying to keep the panic out of his voice.

How could she just leave? Where did she go? Was she safe? Hungry? He couldn't say why he cared; only that he very obviously did.

Heidi swaggered closer to him, making him take a reflexive step back. She was pretty, in a way, but far too aggressive for him to consider attractive. Edward had turned down far more desirable women than a mildly appealing, scrub-clad nurse. He'd been listed in the top 10 of Seattle's most eligible bachelors this last year by the _Seattle Time's _and his current conquest was a very eager super model. Her advances were as laughable as they were unwelcome.

"Oh that mousy little thing? She left a minute ago," she smirked, dismissive. "But I was wondering if you wanted some company after such a long day. I know I can help you work out some of that extra tension," she crooned.

He shivered and bolted from the room, leaving her gaping at him. She had told him exactly what he wanted to hear. Bella had only just left, if he ran in the direction she had come from this morning he might still be able to catch her.

Mrs. Cope yelped in surprise as he ran past her out the front entrance. It was still warm and fairly bright outside. Edward ran all out up the street, getting several odd looks from questionable looking residents. Bella would stick out like a soar thumb here.

A few blocks up he saw what he was looking for, and heard sounds that made him uneasy. He could make out her little red form in the distance, but he wasn't the only one. He could hear the catcalls from passing cars and a group of loiterers across the street. This was not a safe neighborhood for a lady to walk through unprotected, especially one as tempting as Bella. What was she thinking?

Years of gym work outs finally paid off as he caught up to her easily, only slightly out of breath.

"Bella!" he yelled.

She turned around with a look of alarm that was excessive for the circumstance, her panicked features relaxing only when she saw it was him. He wondered briefly who she was so frightened of running into.

"Bella, you promised," he chastised, looking down at her hands. She was holding the half eaten cup of fruit, saving the rest for later. The fact nearly broke his heart. "I didn't mean to make you wait so long I just had a certain amount of people we had to see before I could leave…" he apologized, not quiet sure her reason for leaving was actually due to lack of free time.

She dropped her gaze to her feet and kicked at the sidewalk lightly. "Its ok, Edward. You've had a long day and I didn't want to take up any more of your time…. That nurse said she was going to ask you to, uh… dinner and I didn't want to tie you up," she mumbled, clearly embarrassed. If he hadn't been raised to never harm a woman he would have walked back and choked that nurse to death…

He laughed without humor. "Please give me more credit then that, Bella," he scoffed. "I left that abrasive woman standing in the staff room and ran three blocks up an unfamiliar street to find you. I think my preference in dinner guests is apparent, no?"

He gave her a smile she returned with a girlish giggle.

It sounded like bells and he resolved to hear it again and again if he could manage it.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: All Twilight characters and core personality traits are the property of SM. I own nothing, nor do I plan on profiting from using her work. No copyright infringement is intended. 

**Nise7465 has been here! Beta'ed October 1, 2011. **

Edward led his new little friend into the dark, candle-lit restaurant with a protective hand on the small of her delicate back. It had taken a lot of convincing to talk the tiny brunette into letting him take her so far away from the clinic. She refused to tell him where she lived but stressed the fact that her truck was parked on the street in that rough neighborhood he was eager to leave behind.

He hoped that the romantic ambiance of the cozy eatery didn't make her uncomfortable. He had chosen it for its great food and large portions of pasta. The girl needed to eat. He also knew it was a quiet place they could talk in peace and he had a feeling he was going to have to drive some hard bargains tonight.

Edward was about to drop his hand from her back but kept it firmly in place when he saw, what felt like, every male in the restaurant turn to stare at his reluctant date. Eyes that flashed with lust when examining the breathtaking female.

He would have hid her from their eyes, if she had been his to hide.

Unfortunately, the best he could do was give off a false appearance of possession as he walked Bella to the host's desk.

"Good evening, Sir, Ma'am. Table for two?" the middle aged host inquired, eyeing Edward's jeans. He had only comfortable clothes to change into after his shift and was dressed slightly too casually for a nice dinner out.

He held out his hand discreetly and passed the man a bill large enough to be granted leniency. "A private one, if you can arrange it."

The bribe was accepted with a pleasant smile and a nod of appeasement. "Of course, Sir. If you'd both follow me…"

The man took the couple to a small private part of the restaurant with tables they normally only opened for the weekend dinner rush. Bella and Edward sat across from each other as their host lit an oil lamp on the center of the table.

"This is perfect, thank you," Edward told the host with gratitude.

The man leaned into Edward and lowered his voice so his words remained between the two of them.

"Understandable, Sir. Most gentlemen would prefer to be away from prying eyes if they had the pleasure of company as lovely as yours," he chuckled with a glance towards Bella before assuring them both their server would be with them shortly.

Edward laughed to himself as Bella cocked her head slightly in confusion, an adorable kittenish gesture that made him smile wider. It was obvious that she didn't quite know why she was there and he really wasn't sure where to start. He waited till the waiter had taken their drink order before he said anything at all.

"Where are you from, Bella?" he decided on.

"Uh, Phoenix originally, though Forks, Washington more recently than that," she answered uncomfortably.

Edward nodded. He wondered briefly if it would be too terribly rude to close his eyes while talking to her. She was so stunning it was making it hard to focus on anything other than her gorgeous pink lips or the nearly constant blush of her cheeks but he was determined to get some answers.

"Forks isn't all that far. I can't say I've been there but I have been to Port Angeles and that's close, isn't it?"

"About an hour. There's not too much to do in Forks so me and my friends used to frequent Port Angeles when we had the time. They at least have a theater and some light shopping," she admitted.

"Are you just visiting Seattle from Forks or have you just moved?" He fished. He thought it was possible that she maybe a small town girl who had traveled to the nearest big city when she found herself unexpectedly pregnant. God knows she wouldn't be the first to walk that road.

She suddenly looked Edward straight in the eye and as he stared back at her he sensed she was quickly trying to choose between trusting him, and lying to him. As she started to reply he silently prayed she had decided on the former.

"I've been in Seattle for about a month," she told him.

"Alone?"

"Yes."

Edward nodded. He thought this over and estimated a little over a month to be about the amount of time she would have known she was with child. It made him wonder whom she was trying to hide her pregnancy from. He could have beat around the bush all night but chose to save them both the anxiety of anticipation.

"Who are you running away from, Bella?" he deadpanned in his most understanding voice.

She surprised him by smiling a little, looking almost relieved that he'd cut to the chase. "I'm not running from anything," she lied.

"Then why are you alone, four hours from home, a little over two months pregnant?"

"Do I really need to explain why I'm pregnant? I just thought with you being a doctor and all that you'd have a general idea…" she joked. She was clearly trying to defer the conversation. Edward rolled his eyes while inwardly smirking at the girl's wit.

"You know what I'm asking, Bella. Why have you moved to a big, dangerous city by yourself at such a difficult point in your life? Surely the timing couldn't be coincidental…" he guessed.

"No. No it wasn't," she said truthfully, mouthing a 'thank you' to the waiter as he lowered her drink in front of her, but never taking her weary gaze off Edward.

"You're child's father-"

"Isn't in the picture," she said firmly and without room for elaboration, though Edward's keen eyes caught the ripple of pain that briefly marred her perfect features.

"Is it your parents then? They wouldn't approve?" Edward guessed, picturing the possibility of Bella being from a deeply religious background. It didn't seem likely, considering where he'd found her.

"Well I'd assume most parents wouldn't _approve _of their teenage daughter getting pregnant but I don't believe mine would react much more irrationally than most," Bella answered teasingly, trying to hide her discomfort.

Her eyes widened as she realized she had unintentionally told Edward her parents where unaware of her condition.

"Then why? Why are you here?" Edward asked, frustrated. If she had come to Seattle purely for the sake of getting a discreet abortion she would surely be childless and well on her way home by now…

"You don't want to know," she squeaked, looking more her young age than she had since Edward had found her.

"I _do_ want to know, Bella. You obviously need someone to talk to so stop taking this all on yourself and let some one in. I know you don't know me but I'd like to be here for you… if you'll have me," he begged her with pleading, emerald eyes.

She sighed and looked at him deeply again, her sad gaze begging for his empathy. "Forks is a really tiny town," she told him softly. "Everyone knows everything about everyone and it just wasn't somewhere I thought I could go though with something like this. All the looks and the back biting rumors. It was never like that in Phoenix, no one besides your closest friends and family cared what you did or what mistakes you'd made. No one was sitting around PTA meetings, waiting for you to fail. No one would ever think twice about a pregnant girl at the supermarket."

A tear rolled down her face and she wiped at it quickly, looking thoroughly embarrassed. Edward reached across the table to take her little hand in his own and gave it a gentle squeeze of encouragement. He wanted her to continue.

"I thought I could do this. I thought I could just leave a note and pretend like I was just another restless teen until I was ready to face them. I thought I could come out here where no one knows me or cares about me and get a job to support us. I thought I could take care of both of us and raise my baby somewhere he wouldn't be chastised for his mother's age or stupid decisions. …But I got here and it just wasn't anything I expected.

"I couldn't find work or a safe place to stay. I don't know where I'll be in seven months so I couldn't live with the idea of bringing a child into this life. I'm not so selfish to think that I wouldn't be able to give my baby up to a family that could take care of him, even if it killed me, but I wasn't sure I could stay healthy long enough to bring him into the world. I kept thinking of the quality of life a child would have if he was born with something awful wrong with him because I couldn't access proper care throughout my pregnancy, or if I was hurt by someone on the streets at night."

Even though she seemed very sincere in her admission he could feel her holding back. He didn't know her well but Bella Swan didn't seem the type to give up her child just to escape the scorn of a small town's gossips. He sensed he'd have to earn a much deeper level of trust in order to get the major reason behind Bella's unwillingness to return home. She wouldn't be telling him the whole truth, not tonight.

Tears were flowing from her eyes faster than she could stop them now and Edward moved his chair next to hers to wrap his arms around her tiny body. He knew it probably wasn't the smartest act but it had helped hours earlier and he absolutely couldn't stand her pain. It physically hurt him.

Never in his life had he felt the urge to console a distraught woman. A female in tears typically made Edward extremely uncomfortable. But he had seen the way his adopted father and brother had comforted their mates by wordlessly holding them in their arms and he badly wanted to bring Bella that comfort.

She curled into his side and looked up at him with watery eyes. "I know what you must think of me for considering it. I'll hate myself for the rest of my life for thinking I could possibly live with myself after I'd done something like that, but I swear I just didn't see any other way. I promise I just- I thought I was doing the right thing…"

Edward flinched away at her words. She thought he was judging her, the thought was laughable. The little lamb in front of him had far less to be ashamed of than her current dinner companion.

"Bella, abortion can be a viable option for some women but clearly not for you. I wasn't trying to stop you from going through with it because I thought you were doing something wrong, I just thought you were doing something wrong for _you. _

"When it comes to terminating a pregnancy it's so very important to listen to your doubts because giving up a child is permanent. If you do it because you don't think you have any other choice, without really thinking it through, it can be a very difficult thing to forgive yourself for. Do you understand me? I'm not judging you. _I'll never judge you, Bella._"

The waiter walked into the couple's private area clearing his throat loudly, trying to alert them to his presence. He had been watching the pair, hoping to take their order but reluctant to step in during whatever kind of lover's quarrel they were currently having. The poor woman was sobbing over something her husband had said.

Both Bella and Edward were grateful for the reprieve even though neither of them had so much as glanced at the menu.

"Can I help you with any questions or are we ready to place our orders?" he inquired politely, taking care to look only at Edward while he gave the lady some time to stop sniffling.

"Yes, we'll both have the chef's special, please," Edward said uncertainly, hoping the chicken with cream sauce was something Isabella would enjoy. He smiled when she gave him a reassuring nod. "And two Caesar salads to start," he added, his eyes assessing Bella's far-too-slight frame.

Her waist was terribly small, he regretted taking her for Italian, when the girl could clearly use a steak.

The waiter left them alone in their tension filled silence. Edward felt Bella stiffen under his arm, bracing herself for more painful questions. As much as he wanted answers he didn't want her to feel that way because of him, sad or frightened. He though carefully over her words from early and picked out a topic he guessed would make her happy.

"So a boy, huh?" he whispered in her ear softly, rubbing gently up and down her back. The touches between these nearly perfect strangers where unexplainably comforting to both parties and neither of them pulled away.

"What?" she asked confused.

"When you talked about your baby you were saying 'him' and 'he'," he pointed out with a chuckle, knowing it was too early for her to know the gender of her child for certain.

As he predicted, Bella's face lit up. The sight caused his breath to catch in his throat.

"Well, I don't know for sure, obviously," she said with a small embarrassed smile, her hand moving instinctively to her still-flat belly, "but every time I think about the baby, he's always a boy. Even in my dreams he's always a little boy," she blushed a deep pink when she looked up and saw Edward grinning at her. "I sound ridiculous, right?"

Edward laughed and pulled her in a little closer. "Not at all. The expecting mothers in my practice are always telling me about their hunches. But I should warn you now, I'm a _professional_ and _I_ have a feeling you've got a little girl in there," he teased smugly, giving her shoulder a little bump with his.

He felt like he was floating when she rewarded him with the most intoxicating laugh he'd ever heard. The very sound made him deliriously happy, even when it was accompanied by a playful, yet forceful, punch from Bella's tiny fists.

She rested her little head against his broad shoulder and sighed sweetly. He had to crane his neck so he didn't miss her smile.

"You know, I don't really care if my baby is a boy or a girl, as long as it's healthy and happy. That's really all that matters, right?" she asked wistfully.

"Pshhh… You know I've heard that a million times but we all secretly have our preferences. A son to toss baseballs around with or a daughter to put little pink dresses on…" Edward chuckled conspiratorially. "I swear if my sister ever gets her hands on a little girl she'll have her swimming in a pile of lace."

"Your sister has boys?"

"No. My sister, Alice, she's not even married yet. She says she's not planning on settling down until Chanel develops a maternity line."

Edward felt Bella's body shake with laughter.

"Is she your only sibling?"

"I wish. I've got an Emmett too."

"An _Emmett_?"

"It's like a normal brother, only seemingly on uppers and steroids. The guy's massive and outrageously annoying. He's been married to Rose for a few years now, no kids," Edward finished awkwardly, hoping he wouldn't have to divulge the reasons behind his brothers lack of offspring. Bella's thoughts seemed to be elsewhere though.

"And you…" she asked almost timidly.

"What about me?"

"Do you have children?"

Edward snorted. "No. Never married. I've delivered plenty of babies but I've never made one," he laughed.

Bella nodded.

"You have any siblings, Bella?"

"None with any blood relation but I have a pack off boys at home that are very much like brothers to me," she said sadly.

"Friends?"

"The best. I moved to Forks to live with my dad when I was a junior in high school. I didn't know any one there and it was painful, being as embarrassingly shy as I am, to be the new person in such a small town. I didn't _really_ talk to anyone for weeks.

When I started going with my dad to the Indian reservation, La Push, I worked my way in with a group down there. They're a bunch of huge, rowdy guys that always looked out for me and made my life in Forks bearable. So by your description, I guess you can say I have _Emmetts_ too," she sighed.

She suddenly sounded distraught again. Edward held her tightly.

"You can't go back?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"No. I can't go back," she whispered to herself.

"Then where _are _you planning on going, Isabella?"

He knew she didn't have an answer to this. He hadn't insisted she tell him where she was living now because he was positive he didn't want to know. He had a feeling she was calling her previously mentioned truck 'home' right now and it would kill him to have that confirmed.

Bella looked away thoughtfully. "I'm not exactly sure. I need to try harder to find work is all. And there must be lots of shelters in Seattle for women until I can afford to rent."

He shuttered. The thought of Bella, his beautiful little Bella, competing for a bed to sleep in with a bunch of grimy streetwalkers was unacceptable. Bella was a temptation too strong to be left unprotected. Edward knew this.

"They aren't safe. Not only are the other women volatile towards one another, there are sick, horrid, men that prey on them. It would be hard enough to escape living in the shelters unscathed if it was just you but you're going to be showing soon, Bella. You're incredibly vulnerable," Edward said to plant the seed of doubt.

He realized quickly that he'd underestimated Bella's fire.

She shrugged out of his arms and gave him a hard look. A _very_ irritated kitten. He wanted her back in his embrace instantly. Even staring daggers at him, she was the cutest thing he'd ever seen.

"I'm completely capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much. Plus, that's an awful thing to scare me with considering I don't have any other opinions. Didn't your mother teach you any manners?" she hissed.

Edward recoiled. "My _mother _taught me that homeless shelters are a very dangerous place to be preparing for a child, considering she spent most of her pregnancy bouncing around the streets of Chicago searching for the safest place to close her eyes for the night. If you're so set on exposing yourself to that type of existence then don't be upset when someone tries to warn you of the realities you'll be facing," he reprimanded her coolly.

"Oh." She looked down at her lap like a scolded child, a radiant blush spreading across her cheeks. "You're right. I'm sorry. I just…"

They composed themselves as the apprehensive waiter dropped off two very tasty looking salads. Bella dug in immediately letting out divine little moans that made Edward grin.

He took the opportunity to move his chair back to his original side of the table. He knew that his next suggestion was going to be a difficult one to sell and he needed her to know that he didn't have any sinister motives. He would need to distance himself from her physically to make sure she knew his aid came without conditions.

"Its fine," he said apprehensively, taking a breath to prepare himself. "Plus, that's not your _only_ option. I have an alternative."

"Oh?" Bella looked up at him with a blush, dabbing the corner of her mouth with a napkin. He could see by the thinly veiled confusion that the salad had distracted her so much she had forgotten the current topic. He knew the poor thing must have been starving.

"My home, it has a back house…" he said sheepishly.

Bella looked away, disappointed. "That's very nice of you to offer, Edward, but I'm afraid I'm not a suitable tenant right now. I'm not in a position to be able to afford rent," she told him, dismissively, misunderstanding his meaning.

"Uh, well I wasn't asking you to. My house isn't in the heart of the city but its close enough to commute and I assure you it has plenty of room-"

"No!" she shook her head adamantly. "That's outrageously kind of you but I could never accept that big of a favor. It's bad enough you're treating me to dinner, I could never take money out of someone's pocket like that."

"What money? I wouldn't rent that space out either way. It just sits there, vacant and useless. It wouldn't cost me a dime to let someone utilize it."

"You don't even know me," Bella reminded him breathlessly.

He knew how hard this was for her. Harder than his own hasty decision to sacrifice his precious privacy and allow her into his home. Edward valued his distance and personal space more than anything else. Even though Isabella Swan was a stranger to him, the thought of her being on the streets was far less palatable then taking on the responsibility of keeping her safe. Keeping her somewhere he himself could watch out for her.

She had no reason to trust him and he could see from her expression how much she disliked accepting help. She was intelligent and strong but she had to decide if her pride and personal feelings of self-preservation were worth surrendering for the opportunity keep her unborn baby safe. Edward knew better than most the lengths a mother would go to for her child, and he wasn't above using that to his advantage.

Just like this morning when she had jumped willingly into his car, Edward fervently hoped Bella would never consider an offer like this from anyone else. He knew with everything in him that he would never try to take advantage of Isabella, that he didn't have any intentions of hurting her or making her uncomfortable. But he also knew that he had noticed her exquisite beauty the very moment he laid eyes on her and that he wasn't the only male that would take an interest in the tiny female. He himself could get past his physical attraction to her but on the street she would be a predator's wet dream. He shivered. He was surprised she had lasted as long as she had.

Perhaps she truly wasn't as defenseless as he thought.

"You don't know me either, Bella. This will a take a bit of blind trust on both of our parts but I think it can work."

"Why would you do this? Why would you help me? I don't have anything to offer you Edward…" Bella told him warily.

"I don't want anything from you. This isn't an indecent proposal, Isabella. I know its hard to believe but some people out there already have everything they want and need and are able to do things to help others without looking to better their position. Its rare…I know. I can sit here all night and try to assure you my intentions are pure, but I'd rather start proving it to you."

Bella looked at him softly but skeptically. "Are you… are you normally like this? This kind to everyone you come across."

Edward winced knowing he'd have to tell the truth. "Honestly? No. I'm not."

"Then, why me?"

He knew this question couldn't be answered completely truthfully without scaring her off. He couldn't very well tell her that he was selfish, and that he wanted to help her because she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever come across and she intrigued him. He couldn't tell her that the idea of another man touching her made his blood boil and he refused to let her go out where she could be victimized by the cities most vile creatures. No. If he told her the whole truth she'd surely think he was crazy, so he told her part of the truth, the harmless part.

"I mentioned my mother," Edward stated.

Bella nodded in verification, now listening to him intently. He ran his long fingers though his thick bronze hair, a nervous habit.

"She was a fantastic mother. The best. Looking back, we had close to nothing growing up but at the time I never wanted for anything. She worked so hard to care for me, completely on her own, and even though she never complained, never once made me feel unwanted or resented, I knew she really struggled.

She worked two or three jobs throughout my entire childhood to keep a roof over our heads and food on our table and still made me feel like I was the most important thing in her life.

You remind me very much of her, Bella. She had nothing when she left home but the hope that she could give her unborn child a life worth living. And she did. But my mother paid a great personal cost. She had to fight for everything we had and it tore her down mentally and physically.

Now, thirty years later, her child walks in to volunteer at a free clinic and sees a young girl that's about to face the same trials as his mother, only now, I have the resources to make it a hell of a lot easier on her.

Bella, please. Let me help you. Not because I want some thing, and not because I pity you but because I owe it to her," he implored solemnly, looking into her tear filled eyes with sincerity and feeling significantly more emotionally drained than he had anticipated.

"She sounds wonderful. Strong," Bella sniffed softly after a few beats of silence.

"So are you."

She blushed. "Where is she now?" she asked reluctantly.

"My mother died the day after my 17th birthday. Breast cancer. The Cullen's adopted me, gave me a home and a new, different type of family, a brother and a sister. I'm very fortunate to have them but I still miss her tremendously. Every day," he confessed.

"You won't hurt me?" she said quietly, though it was more of a question.

"I'd sooner harm myself than ever cause you pain, Bella," he promised her.

Bella Swan looked carefully at the man in front of her. He was painfully handsome, more so than any man she had even seen. With sincere, sparking eyes and the features of an archangel.

And that was what he was…

She was so frightened she shook lightly under his constant gaze.

Yes. Edward was either an angel sent to look over her or the devil in disguise.

She put her tiny hand against her stomach, knowing her baby was growing safely inside of her. Everything she'd do, she'd do for him now. Her baby was the only thing that mattered anymore, and she'd never make the mistake of forgetting that fact again.

She had left her _other_ first priority back in Forks where he'd have a bright future… And with him safely unaffected by her own concerns and struggles, it was finally time she worried about herself.

She briefly closed her frightened brown eyes and prayed to whatever deity that may be out there that she was making the right decision.

When she found her voice she stared back at her unlikely hero.

"Well then, Edward. If the offer still stands I'd be honored to accept your help," she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I think I need you."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: All Twilight characters and core personality traits are the property of SM. I own nothing, nor do I plan on profiting from using her work. No copyright infringement is intended. 

**Nise7465****has****been****here!****Beta'ed****October****13,****2011.**

Edward made his way home with his anxious green eyes glued to the Volvo's rear view mirror. His lack of attention to the road in front of him would most likely have been hazardous if his progress hadn't been limited to the maximum speed of the average carnival go-kart.

He watched tentatively as the ancient red Chevy rolled reluctantly in his wake.

He had very nearly had a panic attack when he first saw the screaming metal death trap Bella had tried to pass off as reasonable transportation. He'd been moments away from forcing her in the Volvo and calling a tow truck to haul that giant monstrosity to the nearest dump.

If it wasn't for the fact that Bella had made note of her fondness for the abomination, and the sweet smile she flashed him when she told him about her father buying it for her, the thing would be well on its way to being scrap metal by now. The gas it guzzled was probably what was starving Bella. She must have put every penny she came across into that tank in order to keep it from becoming a 2 ton street ordainment.

It made him a nervous wreck to have his little Bella behind the wheel of such a fleeting piece of equipment but he knew it was the only material possession she owned at the moment and was, in many ways, the last sliver of home she had left.

So, an hour later Edward was leading Bella into his neighborhood at a mind numbing 45mph, her truck's absolute top speed.

As tedious as the process of getting her through the city to her new home was, Edward felt constant relief at hearing the horrid roar of the decrepit engine because it told him that the little brunette was still with him. Not that she could possibly manage to lose him in that glorified historical relic, but it was still comforting to know she hadn't attempted to jump ship.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he hit the clicker to trigger his automatic gate and pulled his car into the long drive. He saw Bella stall at the entrance and had to stick his hand out the window to give her a 'follow me' gesture in order to coax her through.

He pulled into the garage and watched as Bella slowly parked in the carport he had told her she could have before they had started the convoy home. He chuckled to him self when he realized she wasn't getting out of the car. She was just taking in her surroundings with wide-eyed apprehension. He walked over to the pile of metal and pulled the door open. She jumped.

"Are you staying out here all night? I assure you it's much more comfortable inside and I'd hate to have to sleep in your truck bed, but I'll go grab my sleeping bag if it's the only way to keep an eye on you…"

She blushed shyly at him. "Edward. Your home, it's absolutely stunning. And huge! Do you live here alone?" She asked somewhat skeptically.

"No. Not alone any more. You live here too. Now come on, I'll show you around," he smirked, feeling a thrill of excitement at having her there.

He held out his hand and Bella took it as she hopped, none too gracefully, out of the truck. He carried the little she had with her, a backpack, a duffle bag, and a large thick blanket, into the house through the kitchen door.

He was delighted as he watched Bella's big brown eyes take in his state of the art kitchen and the immaculately designed great room attached to it. Edward had a tremendous amount of pride in his space but had never been so pleased to show it off to someone as much as he was with Bella.

She looked beautiful in his home.

"This, this is incredible… I've never seen a kitchen like this in real life. Only in magazines!" she squealed.

Edward laughed. "The previous owner remodeled it about a year before I bought it and she actually did get it featured in _Better__Homes__and__Gardens_, so maybe you _have_ seen it in a magazine."

Her eyes widened impossibly. "Do you love to cook?"

_He_blushed this time. "Eh, no, I'm not completely sure I could work the stove well enough to boil a pot of water, if I'm being entirely honest. However, my mother told me it was a sin to not have a kitchen like this fully stocked and bought me just about every useless food prepping device ever created, so if you enjoy cooking, by all means, make use of what I'll probably never touch."

She looked scared. "Oh I don't know, I… I'd be afraid of breaking something," she muttered as she ran a gentle hand reverently over the smooth marble countertops.

"Well then. For the record, let me just tell you now… If you break anything in this kitchen aside from the refrigerator or the microwave, there's less than a one in one million chance I'll ever realize it," he joked.

Bella giggled and nodded, looking slightly more at ease.

Edward led her into the living room and dropped her belongs off carefully on the couch. It was late-ish, already 8'oclock but he wanted to show her around the rest of the house because he'd be leaving for work early the next day and he needed to know she was comfortable exploring the rooms. He was going to give her the privacy of the guest suite to sleep in but he wanted her to utilize everything in the main house if she wanted to.

She followed him around with and adorable look of excitement as they made their way through the large home. Edward's heart felt like it skipped a beat as he watched her face light up when she took in the elaborate furnishings of each new room. He explained about his mother's love of design and made her laugh when he admitted the whole house would only have a few Ikea chairs and a futon if she hadn't helped him furnish it.

He showed her his beloved music room and smiled broadly when she meekly played a broken version of 'chopsticks' on his baby grand. He hated to think of the conclusions Alice would jump to if she had witnessed the exchange. He had on many occasions threatened to mix Nair into her stupidly expensive shampoo if she even thought about touching his piano.

But Bella was different. He knew already he could deny the girl nothing.

After she had agreed on accepting his help they had spent the rest of the dinner discussing only light, pleasant topics. He had listened happily to her as she told him how English had always been her favorite subject in school and how she didn't have a social life until she was 17 because her nose was always buried in a book. She had rattled off an impressive list of intellectual literature when naming some of her favorite pieces. Bella was definitely well educated.

With that knowledge in mind, Edward was almost giddy as he led her into the room he had saved for last.

She gasped loudly as he clicked the lights on in his home library. He had spent much of his adult life acquiring all kinds of books, many she had mentioned at dinner, and currently had hundreds lining the walls of the room. He smiled to him self knowing they would please his new companion.

But when he turned towards her, eager to see that breathtaking smile he come to adore in such a short amount of time, he was horrified to see Bella burst into tears.

He stood there for a moment, slack jawed and completely baffled as to what could have triggered her sudden sobs. He thought fleetingly that perhaps the normally comforting smell of printed pages had made her nostalgic and home sick. He rushed over and pulled her tenderly into his arms.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I thought you'd love this room. I didn't mean to upset you. Please, stop crying, darling," he cooed, hands running reassuringly up and down her spine.

"That's it then. This is all a dream? A stupid, perfect dream and I'm about to wake up in my truck aren't I?" she sobbed hard into Edward's chest.

His heart broke at her words and he let out a hard humorless laugh. That was the last thing he expected to come out of her mouth. He hooked a finger under her chin and forced her pretty, tear filled eyes to look at his warm, concerned face. He ran the pads of his thumbs across her cheeks and whipped away the salty wetness.

"Bella, what are you talking about?"

_Nothing_.

"Sweetheart, please. Tell me what's wrong…"

Her eyes shot up suddenly, seemingly in response to the endearment. "This cant be real," she cried, looking slightly delirious, "it was idiotic enough to believe that I happened across this ridiculously handsome, irrationally kind stranger who feeds me and tells me he'll give me a place to stay… that was my first mistake. But then my _delusion_ brings me to a mansion in the most expensive part of Seattle and shows me into a huge room full of hundreds of perfect books… Christ, I've completely lost it.

"This isn't real. I've snapped and this is some sick coping mechanism my mind has fabricated to keep me from jumping off the nearest bridge," she wailed.

Edward didn't know whether to laugh or cry along with her. His poor little Bella thought she'd gone insane. He cursed him self for laying it on too thick, too fast. He just wanted to make her happy and now look, she was bawling.

He realized then that he was hopeless at pleasing the fairer sex outside of the bedroom. He really never had reason to try until today. He reminded himself that she was in a delicate condition and had to be handled with extreme care, both physically and mentally.

He held her anyway and rocked her lightly in his arms. She cried into his neck for a full five minutes before she ran out of tears and he waited patiently for her to regain her composure.

"Look at me, Bella," he commanded her softly. She lifted her big brown eyes, his expression quite sheepish.

"This _is_ real, silly girl. You're safe here, I promise. You're not going to wake up and have to go back to the way things were. I won't allow it. I'm going to take care of you. I'm sorry I pushed you so hard tonight. I should have known how trying of a day you've had. You're obviously exhausted," he reasoned as he pushed a lock of mahogany hair from her face.

"Just know that this room is here for you when you want it and you can read as many books as you want for as long as your heart desires. Now let's get you to bed."

Edward grasped her hand softly and went to pulled her out of the room. She didn't budge, just looked at him with confusion.

He sighed and smiled a bit before sweeping her up and tucking her little body securely against his chest. He laughed when he heard her gasp loudly in surprise. It worried him how slight her weight felt in his arms, she was too tiny, much too thin.

When he got to the living room he eyed her belongings thoughtfully. As light as she was he wasn't sure he was going to be able to grab all of her things with her clinging to him. He had nearly decided on making two trips to the guest house out back when Bella spoke.

"You can put me down now," she said softly. He could feel the warmth of her blush through his shirt. "I'm much better. Extremely embarrassed but at least capable of movement at this point…"

"Are you sure?"

"Promise." She nodded.

He dropped her feet carefully, the other arm still wrapped around her back. She stood but didn't move away from him immediately, just stayed there, leaning into him, their faces only inches apart. The energy and tension that suddenly surrounded them scared them both at the same time and they jumped back simultaneously. Edward had never wanted to press his lips against another's so badly in his entire life.

He cleared his throat and picked up her things. "Uh, there are plenty of rooms in the main house if you'd prefer but I thought you'd have a bit more privacy in the guest house. It's not connected, so you'll have to walk though the yard to utilize the full kitchen, but since it's fairly warm this summer you might not mind?" he asked with uncertainty.

He would prefer her in the house with him but didn't want her to feel uncomfortable. She was a rather skittish little thing.

"That's more then generous of you Edward. The walk doesn't bother me any. Thank you so much..."

"It's not a problem. Don't be afraid to let me know if there's anything you need."

"Well, maybe the key to the back house so I don't get locked out," she reminded him.

"Right," he carried her things to the back and stopped in the kitchen to dig through one of the drawers until he found what he needed. He handed her two keys and a grey one-button remote control.

"This key is for your apartment, and this one is for the main house. Don't worry about the alarm; I haven't used it once since I bought the place so it's never even on. This is the clicker you'll need to get your truck in and out of the drive. The pedestrian gate doesn't have a lock on it so you can leave the clicker in your truck."

"You're… You're giving me the key to your house?" she asked him incredulously.

He laughed. "The back house doesn't have a real kitchen, just a mini-frig and sink. You'll need access to the house while I'm at work and I'd like you to be comfortable enough to use the library or watching the big screen in the living room if you want to."

"You trust me enough to leave me alone in _this_house."

He gave her a faux suspicious look. "Well are you planning on ransacking the place while I'm at the hospital?"

He was trying to make light but he knew it was a possibility. If she really wanted to, she could steal thousands in personal belongings. He was blindly trusting his instincts on this. If Bella decided to take everything but the kitchen sink with her while he was away it would hurt his pride far more then it would harm him financially. Anything she could take was a mere drop in the bucket when it came to Edward's economic standing.

She laughed. "You joke now but you may come home to an entirely bookless library… and a missing Kitchen-aid mixer," she added, staring longingly at one of the contraptions on the kitchen counter.

"That? That you can have," Edward eyed the machine with distaste, "but you're getting at least a decent night's sleep before you start running off with my things. Come on."

They followed the short path through the garden to the guest house. Edward was happy he had forgone his original plans to make it into a game room because of his aversion to having 'friends' and out of town guests tramping through his space when he had someone over; it was nice to be able to keep them out here. It was set up quite comfortably for his Bella and he knew she'd be happy with it, at least safe and off the streets.

She gasped when he turned the key and swung open the door.

"Oh Edward! I can't stay here," she sighed.

He frowned. "Why? What's wrong with it?" he wondered, confused.

He scanned the room for anything potentially offensive but found nothing. The space was clean, completely furnished by Esme just like the rest of his house. There was a large sitting area with a comfy couch and a decent sized flat screen. The bed had clean sheets and top of the line bedding. It all _looked_ ok.

"There's _nothing__wrong_ with it! It's just; this isn't some extra storage room with a mattress on the floor! This looks like a hotel room at some ridiculously expensive hotel. This… this is too much!" she explained like it was obvious. Her cheeks were flushed and her warm chocolate eyes were wide. Edward felt the urge to hold the gorgeous little woman again. He'd never met a female who complained about the lodgings being _too_ _nice._It was refreshing.

He couldn't hide his amusement. "Bella, you're not the Virgin Mary. I hope you weren't expecting a barn full of animals because I don't have one."

"Well I most certainly wasn't expecting five star accommodations," she mumbled.

"I wouldn't dream of giving you anything less," Edward said dismissively as he walked into the room and set down her things on a truck at the foot of the bed. He unfolded the blanket she brought with her and spread it across the king sized mattress, trying hard not to groan in pleasure as her beautiful feminine sent spread across the room.

"There. Now you're all moved in. Welcome home," he grinned.

"I can't tell you enough how much this means to me. I didn't think people like you existed… inviting someone like me into their homes."

"Someone like you?" Edward repeated, raising and eye brow. "You mean someone intelligent and kind? Or are you referring to the devastatingly beautiful?" Bella bushed deeply.

"No, wait, I get it. You're talking about that ridiculous truck… yes I'll admit that is a slight deterrent," he smirked as he clicked on the television. Nancy Grace on CNN, he winced.

"Hey! My truck has a lot of character…," she defended, looking adorably miffed.

"So does Nancy Grace but I wouldn't want her around either."

"Nancy Grace the CNN reporter?" Bella asked, amused.

"Yes. God I hate that woman."

"Is it because she's a powerful woman or is it because she's a powerful woman who clearly hates men?"

"It's because she's a raging bitch."

Bella giggled.

"There's a full bathroom through that door," Edward pointed to a closed door across Bella's new room, "It even has a separate bath tub, I know how much you woman love your baths," he told her, trying desperately not to picture Bella in a bathtub until he got out of her room.

She shrugged, "I'm more of a shower girl myself."

"Me too," Edward said automatically, trying now not to picture Bella under a stream of falling water. "Not a shower girl! I'm a shower _person_," he amended when he heard her laugh.

Bella hopped on the bed charmingly and hugged one of the plush pillows. Edward took it as his sign to wrap things up.

"I have to leave for work at 6 tomorrow morning. I have a full shift since today was technically my day off. I won't be home till 7ish," he told her. "Did you have anything you needed to do?"

He asked only because he wanted to give her directions to any particular store she might need but he instantly regretted it. He sounded like he was being nosey- like she needed permission to come and go as she pleased.

"No, I don't have anything planned. I guess I'll just see what's in the area and try to pick up some job applications. I promise I don't plan on encroaching on your space for long. I just need to find some source of income and an apartment…"

"Stop it, Bella. Stay as long as you need. For someone who doesn't want to be any trouble you sure like to be difficult," Edward groaned.

"Sorry. I'm done. But is there anything I can do for you tomorrow? Laundry or something since you had to work, and save me, on your only day off?" she offered.

He was about to tell her no when he suddenly remembered the fact that his refrigerator, as always, contained only water bottles, alcohol, and soda. He didn't cook, ever. He had various take out menus stashed away incase he didn't feel like picking up food on his way home from work.

What would Bella eat for breakfast or lunch while he was gone? And surely she would put up a fight if he paid for her dinner every night, she was already so fussy. Not to mention that the often high sodium take-out food he loved wasn't very good for her pregnancy.

But if he had food at the house that she could make for her self certainly she would be less likely to complain about him feeding her…

He took out his wallet. "Yeah, actually. If you have time tomorrow would you mind doing some grocery shopping for us?" he asked, pulling out what he hoped was enough money considering she'd need to stock a completely empty kitchen. He'd do it himself after work but he had no clue what to buy and Bella would be starving by the time he got home.

Bella's eyes were huge when he tried to hand her 6 bills. "My god, what do you need that's going to cost 600 dollars?" she yelled, refusing to take the money from his out stretched hand.

"Uh, well… everything."

"You don't have any food in your kitchen… _nothing_…" she stated, shocked.

He nodded sheepishly.

"Then why do you need a full pantry all of a sudden?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

"I just got back from a trip. I had to throw everything out so it wouldn't go bad," he lied nervously. Her accusatory eyes were piercing. "But if you don't want to do it its fine. I can go after work…"

Her eyes softened and he internally breathed a sigh of relief.

"No, I'm sorry. I wouldn't mind going to the market at all. I used to do all the grocery shopping back home. It'll be nice to do something routine again," she assured him, taking the bills from his hand. "What do you want me to get?"

"Well, I'm not picky. Just get the usual and that'll be fine. Don't forget to get things you like too. And I don't mean twelve different types of cookies and ice creams, I'm talking proteins, fruits and vegetables for that baby. Don't bypass the cookies and ice cream all together, but remember that they're all for me," he laughed at his own joke.

Bella looked like she was about to protest him spending part of the food budget on her so he gave her a hard, stern look.

"Yes, Doctor," she mumbled grumpily. He gave himself a triumphant, mental pat on the back for his small victory.

"Ok Isabella. I'll see you tomorrow night then," he said after explaining how to get to the nearest cluster of stores from her new home and giving her his cell and work numbers to call in case of emergencies. She didn't have a cell phone so she'd have to use the house phone. He made a mental note to make a trip to Verizon on his next day off. "Sweet dreams."

"Good night, Edward. Have a good day at work," she smiled warmly at him as he walked out the door.

He took a quick look back to memorize her perfect face to help him get through work the next day, and to assure himself that he wasn't a complete idiot when he was half way through his shift and remembered he had moved a complete stranger into his home.

…..

An hour later, Edward was in bed when he heard the roar of an engine. It took him a whole minute before he registered the meaning of the sound but when he finally did his whole body tensed and his heart pounded madly in his chest.

He ran out of his room and down the stairs with speed that would earn him the envy of an Olympian but by the time he made it out side he knew he was too late. The only thing his haste had earned him was a view of his electric gate as it closed automatically behind Bella's retreating truck.

She was gone.

He turned to look back at the guest house and saw only darkness through the windows. He couldn't even get himself to go check to see if she had taken anything.

"FUCK!" Edward screamed as he slammed the door on his way back into the house. And although it made more sense than any other possible outcome he couldn't believe she ran out on him.

He thought about following her, he'd no doubt be able to catch up to her p.o.s. truck but he stopped him self. What would he do when he caught her? Beg her to stay? Demand his money back?

No.

He couldn't help her if she didn't want to be helped and if she was hard-up enough for cash that she would give up a millionaire who was willing to take care of her then she could keep the $600. He only wished he'd known that was all she had been after. He could have saved her the theatrics and cut her a check.

He couldn't believe how stupid he'd been. She was probably taking the money back to her boyfriend somewhere in Seattle. Pretty little females were never up to any good. He knew that better than anyone.

She had played him perfectly and he'd been so smitten from the very sight of her that he'd completely allowed her to do so. She had probably recognized him from all his family's press before he even offered his name.

It was only nine o'clock and Edward considered going out to his favorite bar and picking up one of the money hungry sluts that flocked to him for a simple mindless fuck. No mind games. No tricks. Just another glorified whore that made no secret about wanting to use him for his resources.

He quickly dismissed the impulse when it left an immediate bad taste in his mouth.

He had wanted to believe the sincerity behind those stunning brown eyes. He wanted to believe in the feelings she stirred in him, feelings he didn't think he was capable of. He'd told her about his fucking mom! He didn't talk to anyone about his mother, not his family or his closest friends.

She had just seemed so…perfect. Even despite her obvious emotional baggage and unplanned pregnancy, she had been sweet and easier to talk to than anyone he'd met in a long, long time.

And that was his mistake. She was too good to be true.

She said she needed him.

She was a lie.

Edward got back in bed feeling ten years older. He wasn't sure what he had expected to come out of his arrangement with Bella Swan but now that she was gone it was clear that he had hoped she would be some thing significant in his life. Something he could have really cared about.

He scoffed at his idiotic reasoning.

He was too old for her and she was pregnant with another man's child. Not to mention, she was the only women he'd come across with physical beauty that rivaled his own. Just because every other woman seemed to want him didn't mean Bella ever would.

Tanya and various other women had tried for years to get into his heart with no success and that beautiful little imposter had managed to completely infiltrate in just a few hours.

Maybe she was what he had coming to him, for using woman he knew he'd never love, like play things.

He set his alarm for 5 the next morning and fell asleep to thoughts of big chocolate eyes and an intoxicating blush worth every cent he had. He felt more hopelessly alone than he'd ever felt in his life.


	5. Chapter 5

(This chapter was beta'ed by Nise7465 Feb. 27, 2011!)

The hairs on the back of Edward's neck prickled ominously when he woke to sounds of movement clearly coming from the first floor of his home.

He glanced quickly at his alarm clock. 4:35am and he was not alone.

He cursed quietly to himself, the events of the night before hitting him all at once.

The clinic.

The unfathomably beautiful woman.

The betrayal…

The noise from below continued and he quickly ran through the possibilities.

Maybe the five hundred dollars wasn't enough for Bella. Maybe she had sold or traded the keys to his home to someone who was now down stairs ransacking his belongings.

He had openly told her he never used the security alarm.

Steeling himself for a confrontation, Edward quietly turned off the alarm that would be sounding in twenty-five minutes and padded across the hardwood floors to his walk-in closet. His options as far as self-defensive weapons were limited; he grabbed a baseball bat out of the back of the closet knowing it would be little help against someone with a gun.

He was stealth as he worked his way down the stairs. Only once did the floor creak beneath his weight, but when he had held his breath in anticipation of being discovered, the sounds from down below continued on oblivious to his descent. Whoever was robbing him either didn't care whether they were caught or were just truly terrible at home invasions.

He gripped the bat tightly in his hand and turned the corner, prepared to swing and fleetingly kicking himself for not just calling the police.

A piercing scream filled his ears immediately. The sound was pure feminine fear.

The brunette in his kitchen looked absolutely terrified as she stared at the bat yielding doctor with gorgeous chocolate eyes.

When he realized that his intruder was actually his not-so-long-lost house guest he dropped his makeshift weapon and ran across the room to sweep the small, frightened woman into his arms.

She let out one relieved squeak before dissolving into tears, clutching a wooden spoon like her life depended on it.

"Oh baby, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you! I thought you'd be sleeping sweetheart, I didn't expect anyone in the house this early," he explained frantically, squeezing her tight in his arms and pressing a string of kisses into her hair. He didn't have the balls to fess up to the fact that he had thought she'd run out on him and stolen his money.

He glanced around quickly and took a deep breath of the delectable air surrounding him. There was food filling the open pantry, bacon snapping loudly on a skillet and a pan of something that smelled like cinnamon sitting on top of the counter.

Bella had gone to the market last night and was currently making an Esme-worthy breakfast.

Edward felt like an awful, awful human being.

"Bella, angel, put the spoon down," he said calmly, trying to pry the wooden instrument from her tiny hands. She gave him a small smile and let out a shaky laugh.

"I, I was m-making you breakfast," she stuttered into his chest.

His heart broke as relief flooded through him fiercely. His little Bella wasn't a liar at all. She was twice as wonderful as he had thought and he had jumped to hurtful conclusions he was immensely grateful she knew nothing about.

He gave her another firm hug before pulling away to look at the perfect little face he had been terrified he was never going to see again. She was just as beautiful as he remembered.

"Oh Bella, you didn't have to do that. You need your rest right now," Edward reminded her, thinking about the baby and cringing at the effects her racing heart would have on its tiny fragile body.

"Well after your entrance this morning, I'm feeling significantly more drained than I had been. Do you always run down your stairs with a raised baseball bat or is that just how you welcome new guests?" she hissed.

"I really am sorry about that. I thought someone had broken in. I don't think with my full mental capacity until I've had my coffee," he apologized, giving her the best puppy dog eyes he could muster, a skill he pulled from his sister. He watched her stern glare melt and knew she had fallen for them.

"Alright, so before you start brandishing a knife, why don't you sit down at the table and let me get it for you. How do you take it?"

"Black, please."

Bella gagged. "Black?"

"Its something you learn to love in medical school," Edward chuckled, adoring the way she scrunched her little nose in distaste.

Bella shrugged and stretched to pull a mug out of a high cabinet, rising onto the balls of her bare feet. She already knew his kitchen better than he did. He had never used his coffee maker before. He normally stopped at Starbucks. The cup from home would shave ten minutes off his routine.

Ten minutes he'd be able to spend with Bella, he thought fondly.

She put the steaming cup in front of him on the bar top and pulled a few bills and a receipt out of her pocket, dropping it beside the coffee and scurrying to the stove to pull the bacon.

"I didn't need all of it," she announced proudly. "I pulled some coupons out of the newspaper in front of the store. Got some great deals on meat."

Edward glared at the change with disdain. He wished she had kept it. It made him feel even worse about the conclusions he had jumped to last night. His girl was a saint and he couldn't believe he had thought those sweet doe eyes were capable of deceit.

"Do you have time to eat this now or should I bag it up?" Bella asked pointing to the bacon.

"I've got some time," he told her happily, his stomach growling loudly with sudden hunger. Bella heard it and giggled. He wasn't positive but he thought she looked pleased with his answer.

"Oh good. How do you like your eggs?"

"Scrambled, please."

"Oh. You're easy," she smiled.

"You're about the only woman alive that would say that," Edward mumbled. She raised a beautifully arched eyebrow but didn't ask him to elaborate.

He watched her move gracefully across the kitchen, using devices he never knew he owned. She looked completely at peace and so amazingly perfect in his space it took his breath away. He couldn't believe how happy it made him to have this stranger back in his life. When he thought she had left him the night before… he had never experienced disappointment so consuming. It was entirely irrational and his strange feelings for the girl left him slightly uneasy, they already had him making questionable decisions. Like inviting her into his home and giving her full access to everything he owned. What worried him the most was the fact that even after a few hours of sleep to clear his brain; he didn't even slightly regret taking her in.

Edward's usual breed of female wouldn't know how to make him breakfast if someone threatened their new LV bag with a pair of shears. He didn't fall for domestic, always avoided the type of women that liked to play house, they got too attached and were too much trouble. For what it was worth he'd never led a woman to believe they'd have his affections in anything but a purely physical capacity, never pretended to be the perfect catch to get a girl in bed. The idea of entering a genuine relationship had always made him uncomfortable. Unfortunately this practice left him interacting with beautiful yet unsavory females.

But as Edward watched Bella beat eggs in a small bowl, with her too-large sweat pants and absurd pony tail that allowed more hair to fall around her face than it managed to hold up, he couldn't remember finding anything half as sexy as the woman in front of him.

He was in trouble. Big fucking trouble.

"You left last night," he said without thinking, wanting to break the silence but also just dying to hear her smooth calming voice again.

She looked up from the frying pan. "Yep. I started thinking and realized that if you really didn't have any food in the house you wouldn't have anything to eat before you left for work. Plus it was barely nine and I wasn't tired yet," she smiled. Her smile suddenly turned to a sheepish frown, "I woke you up didn't I? I'm so sorry. I didn't even think… That truck's so loud-"

"If I say it did wake me up will you trash it and use one of my real cars?" Edward plotted. He internally kicked him self. He couldn't even open his mouth without offering her a $60,000 vehicle.

Bella's eyes narrowed menacingly. "No. But I'll try not to leave so late. What did I tell you about making fun of my truck?" she threatened with a hand on her hip.

"I'm not afraid of you," he lied, sifting slightly on the kitchen stool.

Bella giggled and rolled her eyes.

"Is- is that a cinnamon roll?" Edward asked excitedly as she plopped a gigantic sticky bun onto his plate. Bella nodded and he would have proposed right then if he thought she'd say yes.

Bella made her self a bowl of oatmeal and they ate in compatible silence. Edward wanted to talk to her but the only sounds he seemed to be capable of making were hums and groans of pleasure as he wolfed down the best breakfast he'd ever eaten. He noticed Bella seemed to thrive under the praise so he didn't hold back.

She allowed him a second large cinnamon roll but told him she wouldn't be responsible for his sugar coma when he practically begged for a third, despite being insanely full.

All too soon he realized he had to get in the shower and was surprised that he was genuinely upset at having to leave her. He realized every minute he was trapped at work was going to be torture knowing he had Bella to come home to. It was an extremely foreign feeling; work was normally an escape he looked forward to.

"Thank you for breakfast Bella. You really didn't have to go though the trouble but I'm seriously glad you did."

She laughed. "It's the least I can do. Go on and get ready for work. I'm just going to clean up and go back to sleep until it's time for normal people to wake up."

When he came back down stairs the kitchen was immaculate and his new friend was already gone. He couldn't help but feel disappointed that he wouldn't get to say goodbye but the emotion was misplaced. It wasn't like he would be able to kiss her on his way out the door. He'd have to find a way to control himself better.

He wouldn't force her into a shelter because he made her uncomfortable.

Edward was about to leave for work when he noticed a large brown bag strategically placed below the hook that housed his car keys. When he took a closer look he couldn't believe what he was holding.

Bella had left him a brown bagged lunch with 'Dr. Edward Cullen' written in sharpie across the top. Part of him was horrified at being treated like a middle schooler but the other part of him, the much larger part, was outrageously excited about pillaging through the goodies like a twelve year old boy. He grabbed his sack lunch, the thermos of coffee beside it and left for work already anxious for his afternoon break.

He sent a text while in his car, knowing the recipient wouldn't be awake for several hours.

**Need to talk. Important. Meet me at the hospital for lunch. –E**

…..

"YOU DID WHAT?" Emmett Cullen's voice boomed through the cafeteria, causing every occupant of the surrounding tables to turn and gawk at him and his humiliated brother.

Emmett's face wore the expression of a man whom had just been told he won the lottery but was waiting to celebrate in case he had misunderstood the announcement. His blue eyes sparkled and his prominent dimples were deep with the intensity of his smirk.

"Keep your fucking voice down, you idiot! Like they don't gossip enough about me without you broadcasting my business across the lunch room," Edward hissed, shooting glares at a table of notoriously nosy nurses until they finally diverted their attention.

"Bro if you don't want everyone to find out about that shit then this is a conversation to be had in a locked, sound proofed room. How the hell are you going to tell me that my prude brother, who won't even get a gold fish because he can't handle that big of an obligation, just moved a pregnant, nineteen year old into his precious personal space and expect me not to react loudly?"

"First of all, I had a fucking gold fish. _It died. _Secondly, you didn't see this girl. She was out on the streets. She needed help," Edward explained poorly.

"Since when do you give a fuck about other people's situations? _Caring_ has never been your thing. And that's why you cut a check to Seattle women's shelters every year. So girls like her have a place to go to get _help._"

Edward seethed, his lip pulling into a tight, angry line. He knew this conversation was going to be difficult but hearing his brother refer to his Bella using the term 'girls like her' had him ready to leap over the table and strangle the man. He took a moment to bite back his aggravation and remember Emmett was just trying to look out for him.

He had told Emmett everything, where he met Bella, what she had been doing there, dinner, bringing her home. He felt guilty about telling someone Bella's business, and technically violating doctor patient confidentiality, but it was just his brother and he really needed someone to talk to. Emmett did weird shit all the time, like marrying Rosalie Hale, surely he'd understand…

"Everyone knows those shelters are cesspools. They're fucking dangerous for even hardened woman, and she's tiny and defenseless, they'd eat her alive at one of those places. I couldn't just leave her to fend for her self at that fucking clinic where no one gives a rat's ass what happens to her. Fuck, _I_ probably wouldn't even care if she wasn't so goddamn-" Edward stopped him self before he finished the inappropriate thought but the damage was done.

Emmett's smile grew even more mischievous. "If she wasn't so …what, Eddie?"

Edward sighed in defeat, he knew Emmett well enough to know he wouldn't let anything go. "Beautiful. She the most fucking beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life."

Emmett's laugh was instantaneous and loud. Edward thought he may have seen a joyful tear…

"Dude, I know you're not really into dating but you've seriously got this M.I.L.F. thing all wrong…"

Edward rolled his eyes. "I don't want to fuck her," he lied, "I would never take advantage of her. I'll admit her looks are what got my attention but she's really incredible. Intelligent and really fucking sweet. She got up at four this morning and made me breakfast so I wouldn't go to work hungry," he gushed.

Emmett's mouth popped open in surprise. He had never heard his brother discuss a woman with any greater enthusiasm than general indifference. "So what then? You want to fuck her… but you won't. You hardly know her… but you've moved her into your house. Till what? Till she has some dude's kid? You fucking hate that shit, people in your space."

"She can stay as long as she needs to. I don't care how long it takes her to find somewhere to go as long as I knew she's safe. She'd different Em. I don't mind having her around. I actually really enjoy her company."

Emmett's normally good natured teasing ceased completely. When his brother had told him about his situation he had been damn near ecstatic. While Emmett grew up in a constant haze of punishments dished out for various juvenile offences, Edward basked in the glow of perfection. The youngest Cullen brother could do no wrong. Edward was unyieldingly driven and studious from the very moment he was added to the family at the normally rambunctious age of seventeen.

For Emmett, it was a pleasant rarity to have his brother make such a hasty and reckless decision. He had been more than prepared to give him a brotherly ribbing before he realized Edward may actually be in serous trouble. Whoever this girl was, she had him behaving in complete contrast to his normally private, careful self. She could do a whole lot of damage to what Edward had worked really hard to maintain.

"Bro, I don't think that's such a good idea. This girl can really fuck you over-"

"She wouldn't do that. She's not like that…"

"Damnit, Ed. You don't fucking know her. You can't sit there and tell me what she's not like. She could be after your money. Or, fuck, your reputation. She's a vulnerable small town run away who's barely legal and you're the thirty year old playboy who moved her into his house. Even if you don't lay a hand on her she could lie. She could tell every one you forced her-"

"Stop." Edward ordered, looking Emmett in the eyes. "Brother, you know I'm a good judge of character. I can see straight through everyone's bullshit and I've never let anyone take advantage of me, no matter how many have tried. You're going to have to trust me on this one. Bella's different."

Emmett sighed. Edward was right, he could read people like he was picking thoughts straight out of their head but Emmett would hate for this to be the first time he got it wrong.

With as much as his brother had obtained in life, the medical degree, the money, the overwhelming approval of their parents, Emmett knew that Edward lacked a love life all together. His _sex_ life was apparently quite healthy but he had never shown interest in women for any thing longer than extremely brief periods of time and never once in the thirteen years he'd been with the family had he brought a girl home to meet Esme.

Edward always expressed distrust when it came to women and Emmett had never seen him let his guard down to let one in. No matter how many of Seattle's top socialites and most attractive women threw themselves at Edward they were never received as anything more than a quick fuck. Why was this girl an exception?

"Ok. Fine. She's not like the rest," Emmett conceded. "She's still lounging in your five million dollar home, eating your food, using your resources. Even if she's a fucking angel she's still using you."

"I found her Emmett. I found her and had to beg her to let me help her. She never asked for anything and even if she had, she's not one of those self serving sluts looking to snag a rich doctor, she's a young girl trying to find a safe place to live during her pregnancy. I couldn't think of a person I'd rather share my wealth with."

"You really like her…" Emmett accused, examining the look of compassion on his brothers face as he defended the girl.

Edward smiled despite his best attempts not to. "She's something else, Em. The way I get around her, like a nervous fucking teenager…" her chucked. "I keep using all these pet names like some fucking weirdo. Have you ever heard me call some one 'baby' before? I'll be incredibly lucky if she doesn't file a restraining order."

Emmett laughed hard at the mental image of Edward, the notoriously smooth lady's man, reduced to a stuttering mess by a simple pretty face. "When do I get to met her? I've been waiting for someone to put you in your place for years. The girl needs a trophy. I'll have Rose come up with a design."

"I'm keeping her away from you if I can help it."

"You may be able to keep me away but you're not going to be able to stop mom…"

Edward gulped audibly, nervous at the thought. "You can't tell any one. If mom finds out about Bella she's going to jump to all kinds of conclusions and I'll never get rid of her," he begged. "Not even Rose. She's got a big mouth."

Emmett chuckled. His Rosie did have a hard time keeping secrets. If she knew something this big she'd be on the phone with Esme as fast as she could dial the number. "I'll see what I can do. You know she's got her ways of getting things out of me."

"Sex deprivation," Edward nodded, rolling his eyes.

"Speaking of sex, what are you going to do about Tanya? I doubt she'd appreciate your new room mate," Emmett smirked. Edward had kept Tanya around for years. He had a decent flow of other conquests at the same time but the strawberry blonde model had always been a repeat performance. She was the closest thing Edward had to a relationship, as far as it was from one. Edward knew that Tanya had always wanted more but worked with what he gave her.

"Fuck Tanya," Edward snorted dismissively.

"Yeah, that seems to be your motto, but you didn't answer the question."

"Me and Tanya don't have that kind of relationship. She's just a lay. _I'm just a lay_. I'm not going to make decisions about my life based on her. She's been getting pushy anyway. I've been meaning to put a stop to things for a while now and she's out of the country for a fashion tour in Italy. If she calls me when she comes back I just won't pick up. She'll get it."

"Ouch."

Edward shrugged. "I've always been honest with her. I never made any promises."

"And you're prepared to make promises to this new girl?" Emmett asked incredulously.

Edward smiled sadly. "I don't think I could ever have anything with Bella. Her feeling comfortable at my house means more to me than pushing my self on her and I doubt she's looking to date give her current situation. Plus I'm not sure she's even interested in me…"

"You mean someone out there _isn't_ into control-freak, know-it-alls with bad tempers and commitment issues?" Emmett asked in faux shock.

"I'm actually pretty sure she's only one. Its amazing what most woman will over look for a net worth of forty-two million and the promise of genetically attractive children."

Edward tried to inconspicuously pull his lunch sack out of his messenger bag but Emmett caught him immediately.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Did she- Did she pack you a fucking lunch?" Emmett yelled. He tried to snatch the brown sack from his brother's hands but Edward was faster.

"So what?" Edward asked defensively, blushing nearly as red as Bella. He pulled out the top Ziploc bag as Emmett laughed at him. The laughing stopped almost immediately when Emmett noticed the contents of the clear bag. The two men stared in awe.

"That's the most beautiful sandwich I've ever seen," Emmett drooled, gazing at the large bakery roll filled with piles and piles of yummy meat and cheeses. He looked at the boiled hot dog he had purchased at the hospital cafeteria with disdain. "Let me get a bite of that…" he demanded hopefully.

"Not a chance. Bella made it for _me_," Edward smirked pulling out another cinnamon roll from this morning, a Tupperware full of fruit salad, and a bag of potato chips. It was like Christmas all over again, only better, it was like a Christmas he got to open presents in front of his presentless bully of a brother.

"Please!" Emmett whined as Edward went to bite into the sandwich. Out of desperation he tried to grab it before he could get it to his mouth, Edward dodged him and slowly licked the entire top bun. "If you think that'll stop me you're mistaken, my friend."

Edward moaned as the flavors hit his tongue. It was the best lunch he'd ever gotten to eat at the hospital and he wanted to go home and kiss Bella senseless. Emmett's whining was getting so loud Edward's co-workers were starting to give them dirty looks so he reluctantly threw him the cinnamon roll.

"Holy fuck... No wonder you've got a hard-on for this girl. I'm moving her into _my_ house," Emmett announced as he licked the sugary glaze off his fingers.

"I'm sure Rosalie will love that. She just the queen of hospitality," Edward snorted and popped a piece of watermelon in his mouth. Rosalie Cullen was a spiteful shrew whose average beauty was her only redeeming quality.

"Jesus, if she packed me lunches like that I'd weight four hundred pounds."

"You knew she couldn't do anything useful when you married her…" Edward shrugged.

"Not true, she can service a car in her sleep and, fuck; she does this thing with her tongue-"

"Don't want to know!"

Emmett chuckled randomly.

"What?"

"Its just great because mom and dad always thought_ I_ was the impulsive one, but yesterday you went into work a free man and today you've got a lady and a kid on the way," Emmett chortled, causing Edward to chuck a grape at him. "You can't even fuck up half way, can you?"

Edward's pager beeped and he knew he was due to get back to work. "That's it for me, Em. Thanks for listening but remember to keep your fucking mouth shut around the girls. Especially about where I found Bella, I really shouldn't have told you that shit in the first place. It's personal and Bella already felt like shit about it…" Edward mumbled guiltily.

Emmett got up and walked with his brother to dump the trash and leave the lunchroom. "Don't worry brother. I wouldn't tell anyone about that. Just be careful and call me to let me know how everything's going. I don't want to have to worry about your ass."

…..

The house smelled divine when he walked in at 8:15. He had tried to call Bella and tell her that he was running late but just as he expected, she hadn't picked up the house phone.

"Bella?" he called softly. The kitchen was empty though there were several pots and pans emanating the smells that were making his stomach clench with hunger. He was glad he had been so anxious to see her that he hadn't stopped to pick up dinner.

She wasn't in the living room and he was about to go to the back house to get her when he spied her slippers sitting by the back door. He assumed she was in the house if her shoes were still waiting for the walk through the yard.

It took him a few minutes to locate her and even then he had almost over looked her when he finally found the correct room.

He chuckled quietly when he did a double take and saw the little brunette sleeping soundly on one of the large leather chairs in the library. She still had a marker balanced precariously in her hand and a stack of newspaper sitting in her lap.

The very sight warmed him. She was simply darling and he realized he'd never had something so precious to come home to before. It saddened him that it was such a stolen pleasure.

He was tempted to scoop her up and tuck her into one of the beds in a guest room but reluctantly decided to wake her since it was obvious she'd taken the time to make dinner.

He gently removed the marker from her hand and picked up the paper to set it on the side table. His curiosity got the better of him and he scowled deeply at the content of the page. Bella had circled several ads in the help wanted section.

Fast food restaurants. Coffee shops. Convenience store clerk. Waitress at a twenty-four hour diner.

No. None of those jobs would do for Bella. She was too good to squander away at some meaningless minimum wage establishment. He wouldn't allow it. Edward resolved to come up with a decent explanation for his involvement with Bella so he could call Alice and procure her a position at her boutique. He'd put enough money into the place for Alice to honor him the favor.

He knelt down in front of Bella's chair and lightly pushed a long lock of hair from her face. "Bella. Wake up, little one."

She groaned and pushed his hand away grumpily, refusing to open her eyes. He laughed.

"Do you want to wake up and eat something or can I carry you to bed?"

She took a deep breath and opened her eyes sleepily. She smiled widely when she saw Edward.

"What time is it?"

"8:30ish. I'm late. I tried to call and tell you but you didn't pick up," he apologized.

She shrugged him off and took the hand he offered to help herself out of the deep chair. "Are you hungry? I made some dinner. You don't have to eat it if you're not. I can pack it up. I understand if you already-" she rambled nervously until Edward cut her off.

"I'm starving. _Someone_ made me this delicious lunch that I could hardly wait to eat so I was forced to take an early break. I haven't eaten since then," he smiled warmly and she beamed at him, looking satisfied and relieved. "Thank you, by the way."

"You're welcome," she hummed happily as they walked into the kitchen.

Edward handed Bella back the brown paper bag from lunch and she looked at him curiously. "You know these are disposable right?" she laughed.

He rolled his eyes. "Open it smart ass. I just reused the bag."

"Oh!" she blushed. She opened it and pulled out the hefty supply of packets. "What are these?"

"Your prenatals. You should start them right away. They'll supplement all the vitamins you and your baby need. I also picked up a few booklets from my office so you can read up on some of the basics you'll want to know about your pregnancy," Edward said awkwardly, hoping he hadn't over stepped his bounds.

He got his answer when he realized Bella's little arms were suddenly wrapped so tightly around his neck he choked a little. He laughed and hugged her back nearly as enthusiastically, feeling very pleased with himself.

"Thank you Edward!" she sniffed into his neck. "I'll pay you back…"

He laughed and pulled away only slightly to look at her lovely face. "I'm a doctor, Bella. Lets just say I got a good deal," he winked.

Bella thanked him heartedly several more times as she reheated and plated dinner. Edward insisted on setting the formal dining area since she had gone through so much trouble, he was also secretly excited at the prospect of spending time getting to know her over their meal.

"How did you learn to cook like this, Bella?" he managed to moan out between bites of the best pork tenderloin to ever grace his taste buds.

She giggled. "I think it started out as self preservation. I grew up with my mom Renee and between the small grease fires she managed to start in the kitchen and several cases of food poisoning we suffered when her cooking got a little overly ambitious, it's really a miracle I survived adolescence. I took over as soon as I was old enough to work the oven.

When I moved to Forks to live with my dad, my cooking came in handy because he had spent the last seventeen years of his life eating his meals at the town diner. A girl can not live on burgers and fries alone."

Edward was listening intently, thinking of something he had missed the last time she mentioned her move to Washington. "Why did you go live with your father?"

Had she lost her mother at seventeen also?

"My mom got remarried," she shrugged. "It was time for me to give her some space."

Edward shook his head disbelievingly. She was completely selfless.

"What do your parents do for a living?"

"My mom's a teacher, mainly the younger grades, kindergarteners, and second graders once. My dad, uh, he's chief of police in Forks," she muttered quickly. Edward's eyes popped up. He wondered if that was going to come back and bite him in the ass, shacking up with the daughter of a gun wielding police chief.

"How about your parents, Esme is it? You said she enjoys design?"

"Yes. She was actually an architect by trade but she stopped actively working when they adopted my brother Emmett. She's happiest being a mom and with my father's busy schedule she never really wanted to commit herself to a job after her kids left home. She just works on small side projects from time to time. She's very talented."

"I can see that," Bella gesturing to the decadently furnished home around them.

"My father, Carlisle, is an extremely successful private practice OB/GYN, although one might add that most of their money is Cullen family inherited, he's highly sought after- the best in Seattle."

"Did you follow in his footsteps?"

Edward shook his head, "That was part of it. The Cullen's have been very good to me and making them proud was always a priority of mine, but the field of pre-emptive women's health was a subject near and dear to my heart after my mother's passing."

Bella smiled sympathetically. "You work with your father then?"

"Uh, no. My mom's been hounding me to join him in his practice, better pay, better hours, but I haven't accepted a position with him." Bella looked inquisitive but thankfully didn't question him further.

Edward would prefer not having to explain how the horrible hours at his hospital allow him to respectfully distance himself from the family because he's incapable of fully coexisting with people who don't share his emotional handicap. She didn't need to know that, although he looked good on paper, Edward was a reclusive failure of a son.

Bella's eyes looked understanding when she said, "Sometimes you need a little space between you and the people you love in order to appreciate the relationships. I love my mother but I needed to give her a bit of distance to strengthen what we had. Even if that meant moving in with my slightly awkward father," she laughed indulgently. Edward was taken aback. She just _got_ him.

"So living with a clueless bachelor isn't an entirely foreign concept for you," he pointed out distractedly.

Bella snorted. "Uh, yeah… this place is absolutely nothing like Charlie's. We shared a bathroom," she laughed sadly, obviously missing home. Edward frowned. He liked the happy Bella. She misunderstood his expression. "I didn't mean it negatively! It's absolutely gorgeous. It must have cost a fortune. How did you..." she stopped herself and blushed scarlet before she finished the question.

"Go on… you can ask," Edward smirked.

"Well, it's just that you're so young… you mentioned not having a lot of money growing up and I assumed you wouldn't have made so much fresh out of residency. It's really none of my business. I shouldn't have asked," she rambled.

She was very observant. "Of course you can ask, Bella. I'm not here to keep secrets from you and you're right, I most certainly couldn't afford this home on my wages."

"Then how…"

"My mother, Elizabeth Masen, came from an extremely wealthy family, very old money. When she became pregnant her father disowned her and cut off all financial support. He never wanted anything to do with her or me and I never met my grandfather.

When I was twenty-four I got a call from the family attorney who told me Mr. Anthony Masen had passed away and intentionally left me every penny of his estate, some million in funds, assets and property."

Bella gasped. "Oh my!"

"I know. My mother died penniless and broken and that bastard had the audacity to leave _me _every thing."

"Why would he do that?"

"I'm quite sure he wasn't trying to make amends. His attorney seemed to suggest I was his only living heir and the tyrant couldn't stomach the thought of his millions going to a worthy charity when he realized he couldn't take it all with him. He'd give it all to the grandson he never wanted just to keep it in the bloodline."

"Wow," Bella whispered.

"I couldn't stand the thought of accepting his money for a very long time. I didn't spend a cent for years.

"I kept agonizing over what my mother went through in her last few months, what that money could have done for her… Her type of cancer is only a death sentence if you're poor," he stopped himself before the anger and grief set in again, looking down at his nearly empty plate and breathing deeply.

He was shocked when Bella was suddenly at his side, kneeling next to him and apprehensively trying to comfort him, not knowing how her efforts would be received but braving it any way.

Before he could stop himself he pulled her into his lap and snuggled tightly against her. She clung to him and ran her fingers softly through his unruly hair, gently scraping his scalp until he was so relaxed he nearly purred.

Edward knew from that moment on that Isabella Swan had not just entered his life to be saved.

**Reviews are great guys. Thank so much for them.**


	6. Chapter 6

(This chapter was beta'ed by Nise7465 Feb. 27, 2011!)

The phone rang just once before Edward heard the familiar wind chime voice.

"_You know it's funny. My phone is trying to tell me that my brother's calling but that can't be correct. My brother never calls me. Who are you and what are you doing with Edward's phone?"_

"Hilarious, Alice. You're just a riot, truly," Edward groaned.

"_EDWARD! It even sounds like you! I must be dreaming." _

"I need a favor."

"_Of course you do. You couldn't just call to chat if your life depended on it, could you? Mom's right, you're such a working stiff. Don't you love me?"_

"I adore you. Now will you listen to me?"

"_Well I must say I'm intrigued. I can't fathom what little ol' me could possibly do for Mr. Self Sufficient but I'll try my hardest. If I don't, I may never hear from you again…" _

Bella had been living with Edward for the most glorious four days of his life, but was now restlessly seeking employment.

He had grown almost dangerously attached to the little female and was driven crazy by the thought of her serving coffee at some seedy diner. After much internal debate he decided he could no longer put off his appeal to Alice Cullen.

He wasn't sure how he felt about subjecting Bella to the hundred pounds of unrestrained energy that was his younger sister, but if it insured she was safe, respected, and well compensated he'd risk letting Alice in on his and Bella's arrangement.

Because the tiny sprite could see right through his bullshit, his strategy was to answer all of her questions with as much truth as he could manage before she took it upon her self to mercilessly interrogate his Bella.

"I need you to hire some one to work at your shop. It doesn't matter if you're not looking for help right now, I'd be more than happy to pay her wages out of pocket."

There was a long pause. Edward knew she was planning her verbal assault. He sat down on a bench outside his hospital and pulled out the delectable contents of the brown bag Bella had packed him.

"_Hmm, this is certainly more interesting than I expected. So who am I hiring and why are you willing to pay their salary, Brother?"_ she asked with thinly veiled excitement.

"Bella Swan. She's… special to me… and new to the area. I was hoping my sister could help me find her a safe working environment. Can you?"

He held the phone away from his ear as Alice let out a piercing screech of delight.

"_She's special to you! Oh Edward, is she your girlfriend? Is she beautiful? Do you love her?_"

He couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm. He had loved his sister dearly since the moment she bounced into the Cullen's house, ratty second-hand suitcase in hand, and demanded his room because of its superior view. She was his polar opposite and his best friend.

Alice had been vocal about her dissatisfaction with Emmett's choice in brides, having not taken well to Rosalie, and insisted she had been robbed of the chance to have a sister she could love. Consequently, she became nearly as bad as his mother when it came to demanding the progression of his love life.

"She's not my girlfriend, Alice, to call her beautiful would be an understatement, and I don't know her well enough to love her but I'm pretty crazy about her," he answered truthfully.

'Crazy' was an apt word to describe his feelings for Bella. Slightly insane and completely irrational.

Bella wasn't his girlfriend but he would be lying to himself if he tried to deny the feelings he had for her. Even if he couldn't act on them it seemed foolish to pretend Bella didn't mean a great deal to him. He didn't have to have her in his life long to figure out she was something special. The only woman that had managed to coax genuine affection out of him.

It figured she'd also be the lone woman in which he was restricted to a platonic relationship.

He'd never be able to find the full package.

"_Why is she not your girlfriend if you're crazy about her? Is she giving you a hard time? Did your reputation precede you? I can talk to her! I'm sure its just one big misunderstanding. I couldn't imagine any woman not loving you-" _

"You most certainly will _not_ talk to her. My relationship with Bella is complicated to put it mildly and I don't need your scheming to make it worse. Can you give her a job or what?"

"_Of course I'll hire her! I can't wait to meet her! We're going to be such good friends, I already know it!"_

Edward groaned. "There are conditions Alice."

"_I'm listening…"_ she said, her voice audibly switching to bartering mode.

"I only want her to work a minimal number of hours so I'd like you to offer her high pay so she doesn't feel the need to take a second job. I'm off every Tuesday and every other Sunday so if you schedule her for either of those days I'm coming after your ridiculous yellow Porsche with a baseball bat. I'm thinking no more than 25 hours a week at 30 dollars an hour," he frowned thoughtfully, "Give her an impressive title to explain the high salary."

"_I'll make her my personal assistant!"_

"So I'm paying her to be your new best friend…"

"_Precisely_!"

"God help her… She can't know I'm funding her wages or she'd kill me so keep your mouth zipped. I know how skilled you are at keeping secrets," he rolled his eyes.

"_You know I could pay the girl. You've put a fortune into the shop already and I could use the help any way. It's the least I can do. We're doing pretty well right now…"_

"No. I'll pay her because I need to be specific about the kind of work you can let her do. No heavily lifting and she needs to be off her feet most of her shift."

"_Does she have a handicap?"_ Alice asked suspiciously, suddenly grave. _"Because I swear if she's just one of your useless hussies that refuses to risk a broken nail I don't want her!"_

Edward squeezed his eyes shut tightly and let the words out. "No. She's pregnant."

Alice gasped. _"Oh Edward! How could you possibly keep this from us? Esme is going to-"_

"She's not carrying my child, Ali," Edward scoffed. "She was already like that when I found her," he snickered at the odd statement.

"_What?"_

He sighed loudly.

"I was volunteering at the free clinic on Tuesday and I kind of just found her. She was gorgeous, adorable, hungry, and completely alone so I brought her home with me and she's been living there ever since," he told her outright. Though he intentionally left out Bella's age.

"_That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard! Edward, its so…"_

"Unlike me?"

"_Exactly. I can't wait to meet Bella! And she's having a baby! How exciting! I can help her pick out clothes!" _

He laughed and felt slightly sorry for Bella. She wouldn't know what hit her… "I'll send her with my credit card. She does need clothes, she only had a small bag's worth when I moved her in and I doubt most will fit her for very much longer. Tell her it's part of the perks of working at a couture boutique. She's not very far along so normal clothing will do for now."

"_This is so fun! You've never even had a girlfriend and now you've got one living with you! And she's not even one of those picture posing skanks you're always in bed with! Mom is going to-"_

"No! No mom yet, Alice. I'm not ready to explain this all to them. You've got to promise me you won't say a word about her to either of them. Dad can't keep anything from her."

"_But_-"

"No buts. I'm not kidding with you. I'll find her somewhere else to work if you can't control your self…"

"_Alright! No parents. Can she start on Monday?" _

"I'll ask. Remember the conditions, Alice. Be good to her for me but don't let her know I'm calling the shots," he warned. Bella was sweet but had a healthy little temper, and he didn't want to be on her bad side. He discovered quickly the best way to help Bella was to just discreetly make it easier for her to help her self. Independent little thing.

"_Silly brother, I only let you think you're calling the shots."_

"Yeah, that sounds about right…"

Alice giggled cheerfully, clearly in a better mood than she was at the beginning of their conversation.

"_I'm so happy for you Edward,"_ she told him softly.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves Ali."

Edward reminded himself again for what felt like the hundredth time in the last few days that Bella wasn't his and there was very little chance that she ever would be.

"_Don't bet against me, Brother."_

"I wouldn't dare. Could you do something else for me to?"

"_You might as well try."_

"I think me and Bella are running low on groceries. I wouldn't know what to buy if my life depended on it and I don't feel comfortable with having her carry all those bags in her condition. Would you consider placing an order for them online and having them delivered on Monday? The maid will be there while Bella's at work with you and I can have her put them away."

Alice giggled. "_That's adorable! You won't even let her lift a few grocery bags? Of course I'll order your food. I can't wait to meet the woman who has my piggish older brother acting like a love sick fool!_" she swooned.

"Jesus… Bye, peanut," he muttered, suddenly deeply uncomfortable.

"_Bye, Eddie!" _

…..

Edward was filled with a now familiar sense of elation as the pulled his black Audi into the carport next to Bella's death machine. He had made sure to fill the A6's gas tank on the way home in preparation for the deal he was hoping to make with Bella.

He had pulled every string he had and managed to leave the hospital a few hours early today. He had been getting the feeling that his house mate grew bored during the long days alone, and frankly there was no place he'd rather be than with her. He wanted to take her to dinner and was hoping, despite his love of Bella's cooking, that she hadn't started prepping supper yet.

Edward was about to make his way into the house, where he could usually find Bella in the afternoons, but happened to notice that the door to the guesthouse was ajar and decided to check her room first.

He was only a few feet away from the open door when he heard it. The soft, pain filled sobs coming from inside. The sound of Bella's anguish hit Edward like a punch to his chest. He didn't think twice before entering the room.

Edward saw her before she saw him. She was curled in a quivering ball on her bed with her little back to the door. He was across the room, on her bed, and had pulled her into his arms before he could process his movements. She obviously hadn't heard him pull up or come in because she let out a terrified squeak of fear.

"Shhh… It's just me, baby. You're safe," he cooed, and she calmed instantly under his hands gentle stroking of her hair. "What's wrong, Bella? Did something happen? Are you hurt?" She had been cheerful, albeit slightly sleepy, when he left her this morning and it worried him deeply to come home to such a significant change.

She shook her head to answer his question before fully spooning her beautiful body against his. He closed his eyes briefly and basked in the warmth of her soft little curves. Although he didn't mind her current position in the slightest, he desperately wanted to know the reason for her tears.

He ran the back of his fingers softly over the porcelain skin of her cheek. "Are you going to tell me why I had to come home to find my beautiful girl in tears?" he asked her tenderly.

It seemed like moments of great distress were the only times Edward was brave enough to let his true feelings for Bella slip. Like a drunken schoolboy that hopes his alcohol induced honesty will be forgotten by his equally intoxicated peers. While she cried he could hold her and croon her and didn't have to worry about making her uncomfortable. She seemed to enjoy it as much as he did. He hadn't figured out if he hated the tears or loved them for that very reason.

"You're home early," she sniffed, her wet eyes trained on the tips of her fingers as they traced the strong line of Edward's jaw. He hummed lightly in response to the casual touch.

"You're upset because I'm home early? I meant to surprise you and take you to dinner but I can go back to work if you promise to stop crying," he smirked lazily. She tried to stifle her giggle by burying her face in the crook of his neck.

"You know it's not that. I love it when you're home it's when you're away that…"

"That… what, baby?"

"I get lonely."

Edward didn't know how to respond to her admission. Surely her telling him that she was reduced to a ball of sobs because she _missed him_ shouldn't bring him outrageous amounts of joy… but it did.

What could he do about that? He really couldn't improve his hours at the hospital for any prolonged period of time. He had committed himself fully, long before he knew he'd ever have anything worth staying home for.

Maybe he could buy her a kitten, an expensive Persian ball of fluff. Or, his home was zoned for horse property; perhaps she'd enjoy a pony. Girls liked ponies didn't they?

Bella seemed to take his silence for disapproval. She pulled away from him and hugged her legs to her chest tightly. "I mean, I know it's not your responsibility to keep me company! I didn't mean to imply…" Her face turned bright red before she could tuck it between her knees.

He chuckled and pulled her back into his arms despite her embarrassed protests and refusal to stop hiding her beautifully flushed face.

"Isabella, do you know when the last time I requested to end my day early was?"

He felt her shake her head against his chest.

"Never. I've never asked to go home early before. Not once. My superiors nearly died of shock," he told her.

She finally lifted her head to look at him in confusion. "Are you sick?" she asked tentatively, lifting her tiny hand and pushing it against his forehead and feeling for fever.

"No. And if I was, the last thing I'd do would be to come home to you and risk the health of you and your child," he told her sternly. "I came home early because I… missed you." He felt his face heat with embarrassment. He regretted the words. He had meant to make her feel at ease but he realized he might have over done it.

When he looked up at Bella she wore a smug smile that allowed him to relax against her shoulder with sigh of relief.

"It was last night's double chocolate fudge cake, huh? You just couldn't wait to have another piece," she teased.

"You didn't put a piece in my lunch," he pouted.

"I made cookies!"

"I know, and believe me, they were fantastic, but was it impossible to slip a sliver of cake in there too?"

"I'll try to remember that next time," she shook her head indulgently, still sniffling the tears away but obviously happier.

He knew she must be missing her family something awful. He had been trying not to ask any hard questions or bring them up because the topic seemed to sour the good mood Bella was in when he came home, but he knew some things had to get worse before they got better.

"You miss your friends and family, Bella?" he asked in a whisper, holding her tight.

She nodded sadly. "I knew I was going to before I even left, but being prepared doesn't seem to make it any easier…

It was almost less to bear before I met you… the loneliness part. When I was constantly worried about where I was going to sleep and what I was going to eat it was a little easier to not think about everyone. Does that make any sense?" she asked timidly.

Edward lifted his hand to brush the hair away from her face, enjoying the closeness. "Of course it does. It's what I've done most of my life Bella. Working my self blind so I didn't have to face all the things that ate away at me," he empathized. He said it casually and she'd probably never realize how difficult it was for him to mutter that admission out loud.

"That's it exactly, and I have a lot I'd prefer to forget at the moment. I'm trying to find work, but I can't bring my self to lie and when I tell the truth no one's interested in hiring a pregnant nineteen year old when they have so many other options right now. I had five interviews in the last two days and as soon as I mention the baby I can visibly see them lose interest. I'm a liability," she cried.

Edward couldn't help but smile at her words. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't solve all her problems or take away all of her pain but _this_ he could fix.

He wished more than anything that Bella would realize she didn't _need_ to work. He didn't want her to go anywhere and he had more money than they could possibly squander away. But he also knew that wasn't the type of person Bella was, she wasn't meant to be a hidden behind the walls of his home and much to his dismay he knew it made her sad to be alone all day. He was aware she needed something to occupy her but he hated to see her stressed out about finding employment. It wasn't _necessary_.

How do you tell a woman you just met that you want to take care of her? All of her needs. To make all of her concerns _his_ concerns too? Here was no way to do that without frightening her away from him.

"I'd like to propose a deal," he said cryptically.

She lifted her tear filled eyes, a tiny wrinkle between her eyebrows Edward longed to kiss away.

"W-what?"

"I was talking to my sister, Alice, today. She owns quite a successful clothing boutique in Seattle and mentioned losing one of her essential employees recently," he said pointedly.

"Oh?" Bella inquired with sparkling eyes. Edward's heart swelled at the hope he saw on her face.

"Yes. Her personal assistant, in fact. I hope you don't mind but I went ahead and told her I knew someone that might be interested in the position."

Edward let out a gasp of air when the little brunette launched her self into his lap.

"Oh Edward! You did that for me!"

"Does this mean my sister has a new P.A.?"

"Don't I have to interview first?"

"No. If you want the job it's yours," he laughed as Bella vibrated with excitement.

"Does she know about the-" Bella started to ask nervously.

"Yes, Bella. I told her about the baby and she's already excited about shopping for someone who will be requiring a constantly new wardrobe."

"You mean you don't mind me getting to know your, sister?" she asked shyly.

She thought he should be ashamed of her. Oh, if only she knew…

He pretended to consider her words. "Well truthfully I'd much rather keep you to myself but if I have to share, I guess Alice is a better option than most. She's tiny and will eat less of my cake than Emmett or Carlisle."

She hugged him tightly and giggled. "I'll make you your own separate baked goods Edward. You're too good to be true," she told him, her forehead resting against his. Her embrace was such an innocent gesture, Edward felt horrible that he had to fight the urge to kiss the soft, pink lips in front of him with ever ounce of control he possessed.

"Not so fast. I told you I was proposing a deal, remember?"

She pulled her head back to study his expression, looking slightly disappointed.

"You want something in return?"

"Yes."

"What would that be?" she asked him warily, looking suddenly uncomfortable with her position on his lap.

"Alice's shop is a thirty minute commute from the house, Bella."

"So?"

"That truck is not going to make the journey three or 4 four times a week."

Bella frowned. "Will you leave my poor truck alone? You're such an ageist. Don't you have any respect for the classics?"

Edward laughed. "That's not a classic, Isabella. It's a relic. It _might_ have been okay for some light highway driving in Forks, but it's not cut out for rush hour traffic in the city."

"Its plenty fine to drive in the city, Edward. Why would you even tell me about the job if you don't think I can get there?" she scowled.

"I never said you couldn't get there I just said you couldn't get there in that truck." He shifted Bella's weight to his left hip and reached into the pocket of his jeans to pull out the contents. "That's why I'm giving you the Audi," he smiled, dangling the activator for the automatic start in front of her nose.

She jumped off him. "N-No! I'm- There's no way… I'm not driving that thing. That stupid shiny car is worth more than my life!" she sputtered at him from the bottom of the bed.

He rolled his eyes but wasn't overly surprised by her response. "I assure you nothing I possess is worth more to me than your life which is exactly why I refuse to risk your safety by letting you drive that truck," he told her firmly.

She shook her head with so much force he was afraid she'd give her self a concussion. "I can't…"

"Then I can't tell my sister you're taking the job. I won't be responsibly for Bella Swan's untimely demise," he smirked. _You mean too much to me._

"That's like a $50,000 car, Edward," she pouted. _Too fucking cute. _

"Actually, I believe I paid sixty-five for the Audi."

"What if I get into an accident?"

"Then I will thank my lucky stars I had the foresight to put you in a safe vehicle and file a claim with my insurance company. I pay them a whole lot of money for precisely that scenario."

She huffed in what he hoped was defeat. "Is that the only stipulation?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

Edward nodded, knowing his other conditions would be discreetly enforced by his sister.

She smiled shyly, biting her plump bottom lip as she considered. "When do I start?"

"Monday. If you're up to it," he sprawled himself out and patted the bed next to him. He smiled brightly when Bella tucked her self against his side and rested her head against his chest. She looked comfortable enough, so he allowed himself the indulgence of running his fingers through the long, silken strands of her mahogany hair.

"What will I be doing for Alice?" she mumbled into his chest.

"Uh, she didn't really specify but personal assistants usually do a bit of everything. So bearing in mind that you'll be working directly for my sister I'm going to make an educated assumption that you'll be doing a lot of eh, retail exploration."

He intentionally avoided the 'S' word. He had a feeling Bella may be the only woman in existence that would prefer carting trays of greasy foods to shopping with one of Seattle's top fashionistas.

"Retail exploration?" she stiffened against his side. He laughed. _Busted_.

"Uh, shopping Bella. If you'll be spending the day with Ali you'll be doing a fair amount of shopping. Orders for the store and Alice's personal collection. She always swears she's busy at the shop but my mom says she catches her at Nordstrom's at least once a week," he chuckled.

"Edward, I-I don't know anything about fashion," she admitted sadly. "I've always been a book worm… I'm not sure I can do what she needs me to."

He wrapped his arms around the nervous woman and kissed the top of her head softly. "Don't worry, baby. I promise you won't need any industry experience. Honestly, Alice just needs a baby sitter. Think of it as practice." He joked.

"What if she doesn't like me?"

"That's not possible. She'll adore you. I ad-" He bit back the comment he would have regretted deeply and continued rubbing her delicate arms.

"You really think so?" she asked hopefully, oblivious to his slip.

"I know it, Bella. But please don't worry about it. Stress isn't good for you or the baby, sweetheart. Which brings me to my next topic…"

"The baby?"

"_The health_ of you and the baby. You're a few weeks off your second trimester and you're going to need to go in for a check up. Do you, uh, have health insurance, Bella?"

He didn't think it was likely, considering he found her at a free clinic but she _was _a well cared for girl just over a month ago. He'd add her to his plan but it was often difficult to get an insurance policy for someone with a pre-existing condition and pregnancy was going to mean some unavoidable coverage costs for the company. They'd probably deny her. It would be easier if she was already covered.

"I do."

"Are you not using it for a reason?"

"Its mom's policy and I'm afraid they'll bill her or notify her…"

"And she'll find out you're pregnant."

"And in Seattle."

"Who do you have?"

"Eh, Anthem, I think."

Edward considered this. "They aren't hard to work with. If I have your physician contact them we can make sure no information is billed directly to your mother. She'll still be able to find out about any recent activity with a quick phone call but she'd have to be looking specifically in order to figure it out. Think she'd go out of her way to see if you've been using it?"

Bella shrugged. "It doesn't seem like something my mom would think to do herself. She's not really an efficient detective. My dad _is _a cop though. He might have told her to keep an eye on it… With me it's usually a sure bet I'll end up hurt somehow."

"You need to go in soon, Bella. I can get you in to see one of my colleagues faster if we utilize your current provider. It'll be difficult to find you another policy in your condition, even one through work with Alice." Bella looked up at him apprehensively. "Of course I'd be more than willing to pay all of your expenses myself if you don't feel comfortable-"

"No!" She yelped. "No. No more spending money on me. You've done too much already. You're right. We can just go ahead and use my current policy if you're sure we can be careful about it…"

Edward smiled. "Excellent. I'll talk to a few of the people I have in mind tomorrow and see who's available." He started to mentally run through his options. That would be another awkward conversation. _Irina_.

"But aren't you an obstetrician?"

He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Yes. But do you really want _me_ to care for you, Bella? It'll require much more, uh, _thorough_ examinations than the one at the clinic from here on out…"

There was no way he was getting anywhere near Bella's vagina without some seriously embarrassing issues. He was way too personally invested for that to be ethical.

She flushed scarlet. "Oh. Right. I guess not."

"How many prenatal exams have you had so far?" He hoped she had been given a more serious exam than the one he was required to give her at the clinic.

"Just one. I went in to see my regular doctor who confirmed I was pregnant and he referred me to a specialist that I went and saw at six weeks, right before I left Forks."

"And how did that go?"

"She did my first ultrasound. He was just a little kidney bean on the screen," she smiled sweetly, making Edward beam. "Said everything looked great. That she didn't anticipate any problems based on the first exam. She recommended early prenatals, which I had just run out of when we met, and told me to schedule another appointment around the ten-week mark. I guess I'm a bit over that."

"Well it's not as bad as I expected. If there's no cause for concern, it's common to go in once during your first trimester and then again once you're in your second. If I schedule you in, not this week but the next, you'll be in your 13th week and we'll be able to see how he or she's doing in there," he smiled warmly, "Sound good?"

Bella nodded but frowned a little. "I'm going to need to spend my first pay checks on pants. Mine are already too small. I doubt you're sister will appreciate me coming to work in sweats."

Edward laughed. "Bella, Alice isn't going to wait for your first paycheck to broaden your wardrobe. A new… 'uniform', so to speak, will be part of the package. Don't worry about it, alright?" She nodded, looking unconvinced. "Your body's going to be doing a lot of changing. That's something you're going to need to prepare your self for, baby." He gestured to the small swell of her belly pressed against his side. She was absolutely adorable.

Edward found himself frequently forgetting Bella's age. She was a beautiful, intelligent woman with more class and skill than most of the woman Edward had 'dated' from his own age group but she was still so young.

He couldn't bring himself to think ill of her youth because it was perhaps her slightly irrational young mind that had led her to leave home and consequently find her way into his life. He'd keep her there for as long as he could manage.

Bella snuggled into his chest and yawned deeply. He looked at the clock. It was only three in the afternoon. Still bright and pleasantly warm out. "You tired, little one?"

She nodded. "I've been so sleepy lately."

"It's the baby. You want to take a nap?"

"Will you stay with me?" she asked sheepishly.

He couldn't hold back his smile. "Of course; I'm quite comfortable…" he told her, while pulling her in close. Truthfully, he wouldn't have moved if the room was on fire. "We'll order pizza for dinner then, alright?"

She looked like she might argue. "Ok but I'm making us a salad."

"Deal."

Bella was asleep in minutes but Edward never had any intention of closing his eyes, not when the view was this exquisite. Isabella asleep in his arms was a sight that could allow him to die a happy man. The poor thing lived in a constant pool of stress too deep for him to even imagine, but in sleep her lovely little features were completely void of anxiety, the most magnificent thing he'd ever laid eyes on.

He still knew so little about the real Bella Swan. There were mysteries that bit away at him.

The real reasons she left home with her unborn child.

The flash of pain he saw in her eyes when he asked about her baby's father.

He had a nagging feeling the two of those mysteries were one in the same.

He wondered if she had been excitedly planning her first year at college when she fond out she was going to be a mother. If she had to sacrifice her dreams for the life she carried.

The Bella Swan he knew was alive in the moment, with no past and an uncertain future.

To him, she was an impossibly beautiful woman with expressive brown eyes and a heart shaped face.

She was brave enough to take on Seattle armed only with a worn copy of '_Wuthering Heights'_ and a rusty red Chevy, yet had a contest pink blush and the sweet nature of the most docile little lamb.

She had a silly pair of grey sweatpants that he watched her flit across the kitchen in every morning and she, hands down, made the best lasagna he'd ever had in his life.

She was impossibly stubborn and had to be tricked into accepting gifts that most women would have felt entitled to.

But probably most influential of all; when she smiled, his heart skipped a beat and nothing else mattered.

Yes. Edward knew very little about the woman that lay resting in his arms but what he did know was enough. For now; until Bella found the strength to endure the pain of filling in the blanks for him.

"Too much fish Charlie,"…."_They're everywhere_."

Edward snorted.

And apparently, she talked in her sleep.

**Thanks again for all of your reviews and support. I'm grateful that all of you guys are giving my story a shot.**


	7. Chapter 7

"_Pineapple_? Edward, how are you possibly going to taint a perfectly good pizza with pineapple?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Pineapple is an essential part of every pizza assembly. What toppings to do suggest, _princess_?_"_

Bella shrugged. "Pepperoni. Duh."

Edward grimaced, sitting on the couch beside her with his Macbook balanced on his lap. "I didn't peg you as the type who would support the pizza topping monopoly."

Bella threw her head back and let out Edward's favorite laugh. "I just have the sense to know that sweet fruit does not belong baked with cheese and tomato sauce."

Edward shook his head in mock disappointment and started building their order on the Domino's web site. "Ok, so a large pepperoni for the princess, and a large _delicious_ ham and pineapple for me."

Bella gaped at him. "There's only two of us, we don't need two large pizzas!"

He rolled his eyes. "There's two _and a half _of us and if I don't order my own I wont have leftovers for breakfast tomorrow. You don't even have to cook. I'll plate the cold pizza for us bright and early."

Bella frowned. "Well when you put it like that I'm not sure I like the idea of feeding my baby pepperoni pizza…"

"What are you talking about? Babies love pizza," Edward grinned.

"Is that your professional opinion?" she giggled.

"Yes. And I fervently hope your child has better taste in toppings than its mother."

She scoffed, "Boy do you have it backwards. But at least you're not one for those anchovy people. I tried to make us salmon for dinner last night but as soon as I got a whiff that fishy smell I got violently ill," Bella confessed, wincing at the memory while patting the bump of her belly gently, as if silently pleading with the child inside to not put her through that again.

Edward frowned. "Are you sure it was the fish? Was there any pain? How long did it last?" he shot off franticly, looking at Bella closely for any signs of previously unnoticed discomfort.

"I'm fine, Edward. I'm no doctor but do know that a little nausea is common. I've had it so easy so far, hardly any morning sickness and no cramping." She dismissed him.

"Crampings not good, Bella. If you have any cramping you need to tell me the second it happens," he ordered sternly, now deeply worried about the fragile girl beside him and the tiny growing child.

"I just said _no cramping._"

"But you'd tell me if there was…" he pressed unnecessarily.

Bella gave him a playfully punch and he chuckled, understanding that she was calling out his overreaction. He muttered and apology and continued placing the order.

"You want me to call it in?" Bella asked, getting up to grab the house phone. Edward quickly hooked a cautious arm around her hip and pulled her to his side. She landed back on the couch with a startled 'huff.

"I'm already taking care of it. See?" He swiveled his computer to face her slightly, intentionally moving it so little in her direction that she still had to lean into him to view the screen. He smirked inconspicuously when she settled in, tucked securely under his arm.

"Holy crow! You're ordering it online? I didn't know you could do that, order a meal without having to talk to another human being. Talk about killing the art of friendly conversation."

He rolled his eyes. "I don't know how many scintillating discussions you've had while placing an order at your local pizzeria but frankly I don't feel I'm missing out on much."

"Are you kidding me? My dad ordered pizza so often he could address the employee who answered the phone by name just by the sound of their voice. I'd have to wait an extra half hour for dinner while he was on the phone discussing the score of the last Mariners game with the store owner," Bella snickered, a ripple of longing passing across her features.

"Well then, I'll be sure to allow you to greet the delivery boy, I know you two will become fast friends," he joked, trying to stifle her home sickness before it had a chance to build. She might have been blessed with no morning sickness but her pregnancy enhanced moods had her crying at the drop of a hat. Her tears hurt him more than he could ever explain.

Edward finished up and set his laptop on the coffee table. Bella curled up like a kitten against his side and he rested his chin on the top of her mahogany hair. He wasn't used to holding woman so chastely but Bella was so innocent in her casual touches. He remembered her telling him she had a lot of brotherly figures in her life, he passionately hoped that wasn't how she saw him, a brother.

He could see how she could attract a large number of guardians. Something about her delicate beauty and her inability to walk without with out risking significant bodily harm brought forth a masculine need to protect her. Like the urge to keep a particularly stunning flower from getting trampled on a busy path.

Edward was ignoring the movie Bella's eyes were glued to and was softly stroking the ivory skin of her arm when his fingers caught on an obstruction near her wrist. He scowled at the tiny bracelet that had hindered his finger's passage. He had vaguely noted that she wore the piece of jewelry every day, or at least the 5 nights and 4 mornings she had spent in his presence.

"Is this piece special to you?" he asked, fingering the tiny, hand carved wolf, the only charm on the unremarkable silver chain. Some irrational force caused him to dislike the thing immensely.

He could buy her much more spectacular pieces. Tiffany's and Cartier if she'd let him.

Bella stiffened like a board when she registered his question. She looked down at the little wolf in his hand with large sad eyes, taking a few beats longer to answer than the question really warranted.

"Uh, yeah. It was a gift from a friend," she said with an attempt at nonchalance. Edward could hear the emotion caught in her lovely, slender throat. Her reaction surprised him, he was going to push for more information but she was quicker at changing the subject than he was at pressing it. "You know you don't have to baby sit me, Edward. You must have better things to do than keep me company on a Saturday night," she told him sadly.

He frowned. He had apparently tore at an unhealed wound and she was going to try to push him away. He wouldn't let her.

"No, Bella. There's nothing I'd rather be doing _any night_ than spending it with you. Am I bothering you?"

She shook her head slowly. "No. I'm sorry. I just feel bad for obligating you. Don't have a girlfriend?"

She looked up at him curiously, studying his face carefully for signs of deception. He got the feeling she was more interested in the answer than the her nonchalant tone suggested. It thrilled him.

"I don't typically have _girlfriends," _he answered semi truthfully. Maybe _typically_ wasn't the correct word. He _never_ had girlfriends, but he still had a sliver of hope that something might happen between him and Bella and he wasn't about to push her away.

He watched Bella's eyes grow wide with some form of recognition.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Oh, that makes a lot more sense. I didn't mean to assume… That was very rude of me…" she muttered looking embarrassed and slightly disappointed.

"What?" Edward asked in confusion. He had definitely missed something.

She smiled at him apologetically and gave him a friendly hug. "I just didn't put two and two together. The way you turned down that pretty nurse at the clinic and you not being married and all…"

Edward pushed her away a little and gaped at her. Finally picking up what she was putting down. "I'm not gay, Bella!" he growled.

Her mouth formed a stunned little 'o' and her face turned an unhealthy shade of burgundy. "You're not?"

"No," he snapped defensively. "Believe me. My lack of relationship experience does not translate to lack of female companionship," he said pointedly. God if Emmett was present for this conversation Edward would never hear the end of it.

"Oh god, Edward! I can't get my foot out of my mouth, I'm so sorry!"

He sighed and pulled the mortified female into his lap. "It's alright, Isabella. It was an understandable enough conclusion to jump to based on what you've seen so far."

After all, he hadn't ever _acted_ on his impulse to rip off her silly sweats and bend her over the kitchen island. _That_ would put her doubts to rest.

"It's just… well your really good looking, and well dressed, and you know, single..."

Edward barely held back what was sure to be an exceedingly goofy smile. _She said he was good looking. _

He looked at her affectionately. "I just never found the right woman for me and I'm not a big fan of pretending."

His mother, his real mother, had always told him that when he found the right girl he'd just _know_. Years later, he was starting to think that maybe she had been right.

Bella nodded and looked up at him innocently through a thick fringe of long lashes before starting to giggle uncontrollably in his arms. He didn't know whether he wanted to kiss her or strangle her. "You should have seen your face!" she squeaked.

"I'd imagine my expression was similar to the one you'd find on any straight man's face if a beautiful woman accused him of batting for the other team." He chuckled and gave her and extra tight squeeze.

The phone started ringing loudly, drowning out Bella's persistent laughter.

"Are you going to get that?" she asked after the third ignored ring.

"I'll let it go to voice mail. If it was work related they would have tried me on my cell phone."

They listened as the call turned over to the recording. He groaned when Esme's voice chimed from the phone dock.

"_Edward, dear, this is your mother. Remember me? I know you're home Edward, I called the hospital, they said you left early. Are you ill? I swear its your diet. If you'd just come over for dinner I could make you a proper meal. All that takeout is going to kill you dear… You have two days to call me back before your father and I pay you a visit in person. I'm not going to stop calling until you pick up this phone Edward Anthony…"_ Beep.

Him and Bella looked at each other in stunned silence before she erupted in laughter.

"Edward, she sounds angry!" she breathed, fighting for air.

He grinned, enjoying Bella's happiness, even if it was at his expense. "That's odd. I just talked to her last weekend. She normally waits a solid two weeks before she starts threatening me with a visit from her and Carlisle."

"Well at least I'm not the only one that thinks you eat like a pig," Bella snorted.

Edward narrowed his green eyes menacingly and tickled Bella's sides mercilessly as she squealed her apologies. "I should tell her I found my self a little personal chef, then maybe she'd start bugging you and leave me alone for a change."

No sooner had the words left his mouth did the phone start another round of obnoxious ringing. He signed.

"I better get it this time. She's been known to jump the gun, she might make the drive over and sneak in with the delivery boy."

He kissed Bella on the top of her head and lifted her gently off his lap as she giggled.

He grabbed the phone and walked out the back door to the patio so Bella didn't have to hear his battle of wits and he didn't have to risk his mother hearing Bella. There would be nothing he could do to stop her from racing over if she found out about his Bella.

He clinked the phone on, "Mother, calling back immediately after leaving a voice mail is frowned upon by most social standards."

"_Excuse me?"_ the smooth feminine voice that clearly did not belong to Esme asked with confusion. He winced.

"_Eddie?" _

"Who is this?" he asked, as if he didn't already know.

"_Edward, its Tanya! I haven't been gone that long, have I?"_ she giggled. Edward glanced down at the caller i.d., the call was international. He breathed a sigh of relief.

She was still gone.

Edward hesitated. He could hang up and blame the international connection but he had a strong feeling she'd call back and if she left a message Bella would hear it in the living room. The last thing he needed was for her to think he was involved with this blonde harlot and he felt explaining that his relationship with Tanya was strictly sexually gratifying wouldn't rectify the situation. Bella wouldn't understand and he didn't expect her to. Bella was a lady.

"Ah, Tanya. How can I help you?" he asked curtly. He knew she was drunk dialing. A sober Tanya would have known he was uninterested in conversation with her if she was too far away to suck his cock.

"_I miss you, Edward. Want to guess what I'm wearing?" _she purred.

He sighed. "I'm actually pretty busy-"

"_I'm modeling for __Argentovivo__in Milan this week. They have me in some very interesting pieces. I can't wait to do some modeling for you when I get back to Seattle…"_

"I have a lot on my plate right now, Tanya. I think you're going to have to find some one else to model for."

"_Oh that's alright. I don't get to come home for another 3 weeks. You won't have to make time for me for a while_," she told him happily, not one to be easily deterred. "_But until then, I'd settle for telling you what I'd like to do to you when I get there…"_

Several day ago, this may have been a conversation worth exploring, but Edward happened to glace through the patio's French doors where he locked eyes with his new companion. Because she was under the impression he was being reprimanded by his mother, and not being solicited for phone sex by a lingerie model, she gave him the sweetest, sympathetic smile and he couldn't help but beam back at her.

The young girl on his couch was in so many ways completely wrong for him, but she had a simple, yet consuming beauty that Tanya would never have, and he was a selfish man. If he could make Bella his, he wouldn't be bothered with second best.

"I really don't have time for this, T," he said in the same stern, clipped tone.

"_Oh, are you working tonight? I could call back tomorrow_…" she said meekly, sounding equal parts disappointed and hurt.

He pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose, the physical manifestation of his guilt and frustration. He could never bring him self to be mean to Tanya because she truly just didn't understand. She wasn't intentionally obnoxiously persistent, just slightly dense. She was a relatively kind woman considering the company she kept. He'd prefer to just give her the slip.

"Actually Tanya, why don't you save your self the international rates and just enjoy the rest of your trip. I've got to go. But be safe and have fun." _And have a great life…_

"_Eh, oh. Ok… See you soon," _she added hopefully as Edward ended the call.

_Not likely Tanya… _

Edward held Bella innocently as they munched happily on pizza and laughed at what was supposed to be a horror film. And when she feel asleep in his arms he scooped her up and carried her to bed, reveling in the warmth of her little body pressed tightly to his chest.

He kissed the tip off her perfect little nose before he tucked the blanket around her little frame.

For what it was worth, he prefer this one sided adoration he had for his little angel over the sexual gratification obtainable from a dozen Tanyas.

She was all he wanted.

He knew it wouldn't make sense any one else. But he prayed it would make sense to her.

**You guys are so great with the reviews! You are totally spoiling me so I'm trying to spoil you back with faster editing. Thanks guys. **


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: All Twilight characters and core personality traits are the property of SM. I own nothing, nor do I plan on profiting from using her work. No copyright infringement is intended.

**I need to implore you to forgive me my typos. I don't have a beta and it's difficult to pick mistakes out of your own work. I know they are there, hopefully you can read around them and not think any less of me!**

Edward walked apprehensively into the on call room and laughed quietly to him self when he found Dr. Whitlock exactly where he expected to; out cold, sprawled across one of the heavily used sofas.

He almost felt bad about waking him. His poor southern friend was in the middle of a double shift and obviously exhausted, but Edward had been the unfortunate target of many of Jasper's pranks and had ran out of sympathy for the man some time during their second year of residency.

He walked over and shook him.

Hard.

_Nothing_.

"JAZZ!"

…The blonde doctor snored on obliviously.

Edward sighed and pulled out his cell phone. There was one sound that would resurrect any half competent doctor from the grave. He paged him.

The relatively quiet buzz of the pager strapped to Jasper's scrubs had him bright-eyed and bushy-tailed before Edward could inconspicuously slip his phone back into his pocket.

Jasper checked the number on the top of the tiny screen without removing the device from his scrub bottoms. His steel grey eyes narrowed angrily before they shot up to glare at his highly amused co-worker.

"Ya' stupid motherfucker!" he hissed with a small smirk.

Edward rolled his eyes and handed him the Starbucks coffee he had bought in hopes of softening him up. Jasper took it greedily without a 'thank you' and rested his tired body back against the couch.

Edward sat on the wooden coffee table and tried to gather the courage to broach the topic. He felt like he was explaining his situation with Bella for the 1000th time. Each conversation sure to be slightly more awkward than the last. He wasn't ashamed of her, he was ashamed of his inappropriate feelings for a girl ten years his junior…

"You sleep like the dead. Some one could take advantage of you while you're knocked out like that," Edward warned jokingly, although it wouldn't be the first time one of the two handsome doctors woke to the gentle groping of a particularly brave nurse.

"Is that a threat or a promise, Dr. Cullen?" Jasper inquired huskily, wiggling suggestive eyebrows.

They both snorted loudly and partook in a manly chuckle to cancel out Jasper's slightly too-convincing comment.

"I was actually referring to that new nurse… Jessica. She's brazen as fuck."

Jasper let out a low whistle. "That she is, brother. I worked with her last night," he smirked widely. "Why'ya reckon' I'm so tired."

Edward grimaced. "Jesus, Jazz. Tell me you didn't. She's… doggy."

"Pussy doesn't have a face, Eddie boy," he shrugged. "Especially when you're eight hours into your shift and she so kindly helps you out of your scrubs and into her tight little mouth…"

"I'd venture a guess that her mouth is the only thing _tight_ on that girl," Edward sighed… rethinking his decision to put his precious little Bella in this fool's care. But he knew deep down he didn't have to worry. Jasper Whitlock was one of his closest friends and a fucking fantastic doctor. "Standards, guy. I thought we agreed early on that long shifts wouldn't drive us to desperation," he reminded him of the apparently forgotten pact.

Jasper laughed without humor. "That's easy for you to say, fucker. You get to work these nice little day shifts then go _home_ and find a piece of ass while I'm stuck here pulling doubles and fucking the closest thing with a vag."

The hospital board, although they'd deny picking favorites between two equally talented doctors who were hired on at the exact same time, clearly favored the straight laced millionaire over the sometimes rowdy Texan. This fact was evident when it came to the schedules. Although Edward worked more hours a week, he got to sleep in his own bed nearly every night and that is a priceless thing to a young doctor.

"If it wasn't for that larger-than life doctor daddy of yours you and me would be sharing the couch _and _Ms. Stanley, my friend," Jasper snickered.

He was right. Because of Carlisle's hard work and sheer talent the Cullen name was gold in the medical field. It was the only reason Edward decided to dropped his mother's name when he started as a med student.

Edward laughed at his friend's mock bitterness and glanced up at the clock. He only had a few minutes before his shift started and he still needed to talk to Jasper. He had grudgingly left Bella early this morning so he could recruit his friend and he wasn't about the let those prized minutes he lost with her be in vain.

He bit the bullet. "So, listen. A friend of mine is a few months along and I was hoping you could work her into your schedule."

Jasper choked hard on a sip of mocha and gaped at Edward. "Since when the fuck do you have a 'friend' with a uterus."

Edward knew it wouldn't be that easy…

"I have female friends," he lied defiantly.

"Dude, you and me both know that the only women in your life are expected to be gone by the time you wake up in the mornin'-"

Jasper cut off his statement abruptly and sat straight up to glare at Edward with a horrified expression.

"Oh fuck! Oh man! What was it? A broken condom? Dude! I told you to bag your shit _and_ pull out! What are you going to do!"

He ran his hands through his golden locks and stared at Edward with a combination of panic and pity.

For a moment Edward didn't correct him. He quickly wondered whether it would be better if he _did_ claim Bella's child as his own. His money and status would make her an envied and respected woman carrying the child of one of the city's most sought after bachelors and not just another unfortunate statistic. He wanted that for her… badly.

No one would question it. Edward had participated in enough promiscuity that an 'accident' would be expected. It was incredibly tempting. But he couldn't take that liberty without discussing it with Bella, and frankly there wasn't a snowballs chance in hell he would find the courage to ask her if she was okay with him faking the paternity of her child. She could leave his house at any moment and choose to never look back and he wasn't going to do anything to push her out the door. Not to mention the fact that her child could quite possibly look nothing like him and when that baby was born everyone would think him the martyr, and her the lying, scheming, social climber.

"I've never been with Bella. I just met her… through my sister a while back. She's just moved to Seattle and she needs a new doctor," he shrugged nonchalantly.

Jasper's shoulders relaxed a little but he still looked wary. "Ok… you know _you're _a doctor, right?" he frowned in confusion.

Edward shifted awkwardly. "Yeah, but I didn't want to make her uncomfortable and I need her with someone I can trust."

"Why would she be uncomfortable?"

"She's living in my guest house right now…"

Jasper barked out a laugh that sounded far to similar to Emmett's booming guffaw. "Wow, no wonder I haven't been able to get a hold of you lately. You're obviously busy… You said your little sister was tough but you failed to mention the fact that she completely has you by the balls."

"Does not."

"Dude, she's got her pregnant friend set up at your pad!"

"Bella's _my_ friend too asshole, now can you take care of her or not?" Edward hissed, annoyed despite his original intensions of hiding the amount of affection he held for Bella.

Jasper looked a little taken a back at his friend's easily soured tempter, the other doctor was known for a bit of a hot head but the too of them were like brothers. He threw up his hands in surrender. "Yeah, sure, Ed. I'd be honored to take care of, eh, Bella was it?"

Edward nodded with a remorseful sigh. "I appreciate it. I know your swamped, I thought about asking Irina but…"

Jasper chuckled. "You fucked her," he finished for him.

"Yeah. She's a decent doctor but I really don't want to expose Bella to that bitter harpy."

"Probably a good call. I'll take care of your girl. Don't worry about it."

Edward relaxed. "Great, I'll bring her in next week," he nodded, relieved and got up to leave before Jasper started asking more questions.

"She bringing dad with her?" Jasper asked his retreating back curiously, wondering if it was just a woman bunking at Edward's or a couple.

He turned to look at Jasper from the doorway and quickly considered how honest he wanted to be.

"The fathers out of the picture. Its just her and me now," he muttered softly and continued on his way, leaving Jasper gaping at the door.

oOoOoOoOo

"Good morning, Ms. Cullen! We weren't expecting you in today!" Jane practically shouted in an overly sweet voice as she tried to inconspicuously hide her cell phone and gather the makeup she had scattered sloppily across the front counter.

Alice rolled her eyes. It was quite obvious her employees weren't anticipating a surprise visit from their boss. They scattered like sewer rats when she walked into her shop. She'd normally ride their asses for not having the boutique ready to open in an hour but she was in such a great mood today that she didn't let it bother her.

"Good morning ladies!" she trilled with a smile. She felt six pairs of miscellaneously colored eyes track her movements nervously as she glided across the room, tossed her new Dior handbag onto the counter and plopped her self daintily in behind the computer.

"Jane, would you mind keeping an eye out for my brother's black Audi?" she asked with a smirk, her blue eyes glinting mischievously.

As expected, the blonde's head jerked up so quickly she could have snapped her own neck.

"Oh… Is Edward coming in?" she asked with a horrid attempt at nonchalance. Alice looked around to see all of the sales girls staring hopefully.

Edward hadn't come into the shop since an incident in which one of Alice's fine young associates cornered him in the back office. The woman was promptly let go but Edward refused to return.

"Nope," she popped her 'p' gleefully. "It's just the car he told me his girlfriend would be arriving in when she starts work today," she grinned wildly.

Maybe she was stretching the truth a little but she enjoyed the small gasps that erupted from the distraught women.

"Edward Cullen has a _girlfriend!" _Chelsea, a crude bitch with terrible people skills but incredibly useful Gucci contacts, hissed without even attempting to sound the respectable level of uninterested.

Alice nodded ecstatically. "Her names Bella and he's crazy about her," she announced in a singsong voice. "Now mind your own business and do your job before I fire the whole lot of you," she added.

A few looked as though they maybe be willing to sacrifice their jobs for more Edward related gossip but after a moment they all grudgingly dispersed.

Angela, Alice's store manager and most trusted employee, walked in from the back room caring a box of files almost larger than her little body. Alice jumped up to help her haul the heavy load as the rest of the girls pretended not to notice.

"Alice!" she greeted happily. "Are you the reason Jane stormed into the storage room cursing under her breathe just a moment ago?" she giggled. She was a pretty woman, though one might think her plain in comparison to the females that frequented the shop. Angela wasn't much into fashion but Alice recognized her impeccable business sense and hired her the moment Edward had given her the money to open her dream business.

"More or less." The female Cullen winked.

"I'm glad you're here. They're motivated by fear," Angela joked, leaning tiredly against the counter as her arms burned a little from carrying the heavy box. "Are you camping out all day?"

Alice shook her head. "I'm just meeting my newest employee here at 8," she announced, holding back with an excited smile. "Then I'm taking her shopping!"

"I didn't know we were hiring," Angela frowned. The girls working at the plush boutique were useless as it was, driven only by commission. Surely they didn't need another one.

Alice beamed. "Bella Swan, my new personal assistant!"

"You needed a PA? I thought you liked to work alone."

"Well, she also happens to be Edward's new girlfriend!" Alice squealed.

"Shut the fuck up!" Angela gaped, throwing her hand over her mouth guilty. The devout Catholic rarely swore.

Angela was hopelessly devoted to her boyfriend Ben and was the only thing with ovaries that wasn't on a personal mission to get into Edward's pants. This fact made her and Alice fast friends and they gossiped constantly. Alice appreciated an actual girlfriend who liked her for her and not her ability to introduce them to her rich, hansom brother. He had always been a blessing and a curse.

"No, really! He called me two days ago and asked me to hire her, on his dime. He told me he was _crazy about her_ and called her beautiful! Not hot, not sexy… _beautiful, _Ang!" she giggled in a hushed, conspiratorial tone. "Oh! I can't wait till she gets here!"

Angela looked uneasy, not a confident in Edward's judgment. "He doesn't exactly have the best track record, Ali," she knew this from Alice's constantly complaining and the occasional media coverage, "What if she's a total tool and you get stuck with her?"

"Eddie's never cared about those women. I know my brother, he thinks they're just as pathetic as we do but he's a pig and doesn't care. I've never seen him like this, openly admitting to having feelings for someone. He's trying to down play it but he's called me like 60 times this weekend to make sure I have everything ready for her," Alice gushed.

"Wow."

"I know! He's text me 4 times this morning alone just to remind me to call him when she's arrived here safely," she added, pulling out her iphone and showing Angela a series of messages from her anxious brother. The girls laughed quickly at his expense.

"That's so cute," Angela sighed. "He finds such beautiful women, I bet she's a knock out."

Alice was reminded of Bella's pregnancy. That was certainly an interesting twist to throw in the mix but she knew things were seldom simple when it came to Edward so there was no reason for this to be an exception.

She nodded thoughtfully, "Knowing my brother she's probably gorgeous." She didn't know if Bella was showing noticeably so she decided to keep the baby on the down low until she knew the subject couldn't be avoided.

She herself couldn't believe Edward was so accepting of Bella's pre-existing pregnancy. How would she expect anyone else to understand? Outside of his profession, she had never known her brother to be the nurturing type. She was very proud.

"…But hopefully not _too_ gorgeous. I don't think I can stomach another Rosalie Hale."

Angela snickered. "Don't mean Rosalie Cullen?"

"Please! You have to do more to earn the Cullen name then just get my stupid brother to marry you. That swine would have married anything with a decent set of tits."

"And she does have a very nice set…" Angela reasoned. She had met the woman once when she came into the store. Her beauty was quickly over shadowed by her less than inviting demeanor. She had reduced a new girl to tears in a record 7 minutes.

"She better. Her dad paid a pretty penny for them."

"Alice!"

Alice giggled. "I know. I shouldn't talk about my 'sister' like that but she's horrid. I just saw her the other night at a family dinner, sans Edward of course, he was with Bella, and she seems to get significantly less pleasant with every passing day."

"Well I can kind of understand, with all she's going through… What's going on with the in vitro?"

"They just tried it again. It didn't take. They knew it wouldn't. The woman's as barren as the Gobi desert. Just insists on wasting more of my father and brother's money."

Angela frowned. "It's kind of sad. Don't you think?"

"We'd all be far more sympathetic if she wasn't so volatile. I'm _am_ sorry my brother wont be able to have children. He'd be a great dad." Alice shrugged. "But anyway, Bella won't be any thing like Rose. Edward wouldn't settle and he wouldn't do that to me."

_And Bella's definitely fertile._

Angela went back to organizing sale reports and Alice checked her phone as it chimed loudly.

_Did you remember her phone? Is she there yet? –E _

Alice rolled her eyes. She pulled out the small box Edward demanded she pickup yesterday. A new blackberry for Bella. The things she went though for that boy…

He had implied that Bella was down on her luck but honestly, how does one live without a cell phone?

_Yes, Edward. I remembered the damn phone. I can't wait to give it to her. Maybe you'll start texting her and leave me alone. –A_

_Does that mean she's not there? Think she got lost? –E _

_She's not expected to be here for a half hour. Keep your panties on. -A _

_Just let me know when she's made it. She's not used to my car. I'm worried. –E_

Alice shook her head in disbelief and sighed. He was like a completely different man. She always knew her brother had a great heart but she'd yet to see a woman that could bring it out in him.

She felt sorry for poor Edward. He didn't know what it was like to truly care for someone and now that he did he was an overprotective, nervous wreck. She was glad she would have an opportunity to meet his mysterious love interest.

She'd like to know early on if the girl that had captured her brother's heart was going to be the first to break it.

A light tapping from the front of the store interrupted Alice's sad thoughts. She glared at Jane until the girl ran the front to address the visitor.

"I'm sorry. We don't open till 9," the blonde told who ever was inquiring in a clipped, irritated tone.

"Oh- I know, I'm sorry. I'm supposed to meet Alice Cullen here at 8. I'm a little early…"

The voice was timid but sweet and Alice smiled because she liked her already, sight-unseen. This was Edward's Bella.

The tiny, fairy-like woman skipped to the front of the store and Jane grudgingly held the door open as Bella Swan stepped through cautiously. Alice paused for a moment and examined her with an appraising eye.

She was… _perfect._

Exactly the vision Alice had always hoped for when dreaming up the ideal mate for her beloved brother.

She was stunning. The kind of beauty that warms you but doesn't overwhelm you. The type of attractive that doesn't _demand_ the attention of a room but captures it anyway.

She looked nervous and scared but her deep brown eyes still held a friendly gleam. Alice loved that she walked in like a lamb and not a lioness, she'd round him out perfectly. Edward had enough ego for the two of them.

In fact Alice was so pleased that it took her several moments to realize the lovely female's very obvious flaw…

Bella Swan was a girl.

_Not_ a woman.

Alice ran her fingers through her hair, it was a nervous habit she picked up from Edward that she only resorted to when under deep distress. She couldn't stand the way it ruffled her perfect pixy cut.

The girl in front of her couldn't be older that 20. She internally berated her self for not anticipating this. Who else besides a teenager would find them selves homeless and pregnant in a big city?

_Oh Edward…_

What was he thinking? That if she's old enough to have a baby that she's old enough to date?

Honestly, the only woman he's ever cared for and she was little more than a child-

_The only woman he's ever cared for…_

With that thought Alice was reminded of how badly she wanted this for her brother. When it really came down to it… Bella could have two heads and a penis and Alice would still be deliriously happy Edward wouldn't end up fucking fake-breasted bimbo's for the rest of his life.

On that note, Alice launched her self at the small brunette.

Bella squeaked and stiffened in surprise when she found Alice suddenly hugging the life out of her. Before she could react Alice had released her, taken a step back and was now beaming at her like a long lost best friend.

"Bella! I'm so glad you found the place! Did you have trouble finding parking? Edward said he'd tell you about the lot in the back. It's hard to find if you don't know it's there. Did you like driving the Audi? It's such a beautiful car… I always ask to barrow it but Edward's stingy with his toys. Like he can drive all 6 at the same time… ridiculous. He says I drive too fast."

Alice stared at Bella happily and waited for some kind of reply. The girl just gaped back for a few moments, brown eyes wide.

Angela walked up to Bella and patted her back soothingly. "Don't be afraid. She's just excited, sweetie," she chuckled.

Bella blinked to clear her thoughts and smiled sheepishly. "You're _exactly_ how Edward described you Ms. Cullen."

Alice rolled her bright blue eyes. "Mrs. Cullen is my mother, Bella. And even she will insist you call her Esme. I'm just Alice. Now how did my dear brother describe me? Charming? Fashionable? Devastatingly beautiful?" she teased.

Bella giggled and nodded. "And 'bouncy'."

Angela snorted and Alice blushed pink.

_And bouncy._

_**Thanks a ton for all of your reviews. They are so great and if I wasn't getting pounded by my midterms I would respond to everyone of them. I want to show you guys my appreciation for your support so I'll be sending all my reviewers a 'sneak peek' of the next chapter!** (obviously those of you who are on this ride for the second time won't be as excited about this. I'm sorry because you guys are beyond great!) _


	9. Chapter 9

"The green one first, Bella. It's going to make the red in your hair really pop."

Alice followed her new best friend, as she referred to her in her mind, into the large dressing room with an armful of candidates. Bella gave her an anxious look.

She rolled her blue eyes. "We have the same lady parts, Bella. No need to be modest."

The girl sighed and shook her head softly. "No we don't. You have such an attractive, flat stomach and I… well lets just say I have a lot of pants that no longer fit me."

Alice giggled but planted her self firmly on the small bench in Bella's dressing room. She lifted an eyebrow in an expression that just _dared_ Bella to argue. Bella didn't dare. So she huffed lightly and pulled off her shirt and pants self-consciously.

The tiny brunette had nothing to be self-conscious about. She had a perfect body. Alice pretended not to look but Bella's baby bump was too cute for words. She briefly noted that this was going to enrage Rosalie, the woman was jealous of the family dog after it whelped a litter of puppies. She could already see the witch lashing out at little Bella.

Alice would kill her. She'd been waiting for an good enough excuse for a very long time. _Edward would help dispose of the body…_

The girl was every bit as lovely as Edward had insinuated. She had followed Alice around the store attentively, laughed and joked freely with her and Angela, and even impressed them with her knowledge of the store billing system.

She didn't know fashion to save her life but she was very obviously intelligent. Far more so than most 19 years olds.

Alice had mixed feeling upon learning Bella's age. Relief that their age difference wouldn't end in Edward's highly publicized arrest, and apprehension over whether or not the two could possibly make things work between them. Alice didn't really believe in love at first sight or 'soul mates' but she couldn't think of anything else that would explain her sensible brother falling so quickly for a girl that was, by most standards, such a poor match for him. Alice wanted him to be happy but she didn't want to see him hurt either.

Bella was meek and reserved at first but had warmed up to Alice quickly and she just _knew_ they'd be close. She noticed right away that Bella skillfully avoided talking about her life pre-Edward and he had given her extremely strict instructions that she was not to push for details into Bella's past.

He had, however, failed to forbid her from asking Bella how she felt about _him_, and Alice was more than a little excited about taking advantage of his oversight.

Bella started to grumble and moan 6 department stores into their shopping trip. Alice was having far too much fun pushing Edward's credit card to its full potential and would have forced Bella onward if she wasn't positive Edward would murder her for keep his pregnant sweetheart on her feet all day.

Alice had never met anyone so displeased about getting a whole wardrobe of free clothes. Bella had whined nonstop about the cost of the massive shopping spree, and the new cell phone, until Alice finally lied and told her that she needed her dressed appropriately if she was going to work with her. That pretty much shut her up. Apparently she _really_ needed this 'job'.

When the pair finally sat down for dinner Bella looked equal parts exhausted and relieved.

They chatted easily about Alice's business before the waiter came to take their orders. Alice watched in disgusted as a man sitting at a table near theirs starred shamelessly at Bella. The man was handsome, with professionally cut blonde hair and light colored eyes, but Bella herself didn't seem to notice so Alice saw it as an opportunity for a topic icebreaker.

"That man at the table over there is staring at you," she fake giggled, inclining her pointed chin in the direction of the blatant admirer.

Bella looked over innocently and blushed ruby red when she inadvertently made eye contact with the creep. Alice glared at him. Him coming over there was not part of the plan.

"Stop looking at him, Alice!" Bella hissed. Embarrassed by the attention that most women would revel in, she dropped her long, dark hair like a curtain to shield herself from his gaze. "He probably just thinks I look like some one he knows."

Alice scoffed. Bella obviously didn't see her self like everyone else did, like Edward did. The poor little thing was buried under layers of self doubt, Alice knew that Edward's admiration would do wonders for her confidence. "Mhmmm, have you ever seen him before?"

"Well, no."

"Then he's definitely checking you out. He's very cute…"

"Alice!"

"Not your type?" she asked carefully, pleased with the direction the conversation was going. She was queen of the tactful investigation, an important skill Esme had passed on.

Bella blushed again and was suddenly extremely interested in her water glass. "I don't really have a _type_," she murmured.

"Well I suppose he's not much compared to Edward…"

Bella's eyes went wide, she looked like she wanted to die. "I- eh, I guess not."

"What _do_ you think about my brother, Bella?" Alice pressed.

"Edward's probably the most caring man I've ever met," she answered plainly. It was promising but not exactly what Alice was hoping for. Her brother had been texting her the entire day to make sure Bella was safe and enjoying her self and all the girl could say is that he's 'caring'?

"You know he's only like that with you…"

Bella stopped making lines in the condensation that had collected on the outside of her glass and looked at Alice searchingly. "He told me that but I didn't believe him," she admitted.

Edward would kill Alice if he found out she was meddling but she knew he was going to need some help with this one, whether he wanted it or not. "It's true though. Edward's an excellent doctor, his patients adore him. But outside of the hospital he's very reclusive, private. It's not like him to look out for any one but him self and his family."

Bella's face fell. "He must very feel sorry for me then," she mumbled sadly.

"Hardly, Bella," Alice snorted. "I think he's quite taken with you," she understated.

Bella shook her head in agreement. "He likes my cooking."

Alice couldn't hold back her amusement, it escaped her in a bubble of laughter. "Esme's the best cook I know and that boy would have a homemade dinner every night if he wanted it. Honestly, I'm pretty sure he likes for a lot more than your culinary skills," Alice drawled suggestively.

Bella gaped with huge doe eyes. "N-No," she stammered. "If anything he treats me like a sister."

Alice wrinkled her nose with a grimace. "He treats _me _like a sister, Bella, and let me tell you… that doesn't included moving me into his house and allowing me to drive his luxury vehicles. He'd set me up in a very nice apartment if I needed a place to stay, not invite me into his personal space," she told her truthfully.

"He made it sound like the two of you were very close." Bella forehead creased in confusion.

"Oh we are," Alice smiled sadly. "As close as Edward is to anyone, that is. Our parents adopted me just months after Edward and I think he took to me out of loneliness. Edward could justify loving a sister when he couldn't accept the love of Esme and Carlisle yet. He's never had a sister before. I wasn't replacing any one. I was younger but he looked after me despite his own pain."

Bella nodded in understanding. "His mother," she whispered. "Losing her still hurts him. I can see it."

Alice was shocked that she knew about Elizabeth. Edward could hardly stomach talking about her and even if he could, he insisted it wasn't any ones business but his own.

Alice recovered quickly. She should have known Edward would open up to Bella. His feelings were even stronger than she thought.

"Yes. Her death was terribly difficult for him. He had it worse the any of us, in a way. Emmett and I both came from abusive or neglectful backgrounds. When the Cullen's took us in, it was a God send, but Edward had someone to miss, someone that he felt he was betraying by getting close to Esme. I'm not sure how he was when she had been alive but he's lived a very lonely existence since I've know him. We're close, he loves his family, but he's been very careful about keeping us at arms length."

She looked up to find Bella listening closely, looking genuinely concerned while nibbling on her bottom lip in what Alice was sure was a nervous habit. It felt odd to talk so freely about family business. She was relying on her brother's typically infallible judgement of character by assuming that what she was sharing wouldn't end up on an internet blog by the next morning. The Cullen family was Seattle elite, especially after the highly public death of Edward Masen Sr., but they very much valued their privacy.

"I know you don't need to know all that. I just wanted you to see that my brother really cares for you. I don't know if he knows how to show you that, since he's never had to before, so I thought I'd give him a push," she finished.

Bella looked down at her lap awkwardly. "I don't think I could ever be with him," she whispered, so softly Alice just barely heard it over the bustle of the restaurant.

But she _did_ hear it.

And it pissed her off.

"And why the hell not? What's wrong with my brother? To much emotional baggage for you?" she hissed. _Who did this bitch think she was?_ "I know he might be a little cold sometimes but he has a great heart and if you cant see that-"

Bella's head snapped up and her eyes burned with so much emotion as they met Alice's glare that the protective sister cowered back slightly.

"Edward has never been _cold_ to me and just because he's had an unpleasant past does not mean he has 'emotional baggage'. _Do not_ snap at me for knowing that never in a million years will I ever be good enough for that man…" she stated icily, her cheeks pink with irritation.

Alice's mouth fell open in surprise before her expression softened significantly. "Bella, if you're referring to the baby then I think my brother's made it clear that that's not an issue…"

Bella sighed and shook her head. The set of her shoulders relaxed some and she went back to fidgeting with the cloth napkin in her lap. It seemed she was only a fighter when forced to self defend. "It's not just the baby, although that's part of it. Edward doesn't really even know me. If he does have feelings for me it's only because I haven't been entirely forth coming and he's too much of a gentlemen to pry. He's… well, he's perfect and I'm… not. Not even close."

Alice cocked her head thoughtfully. The beautiful young woman in front of her looked to be a poster child for purity. Pregnancy aside Alice had a feeling that some of the things she did in college would make Bella blush like the Catholic school girl she resembled. Yet Bella was making her she self sound like some blood thirsty ex-con. Alice couldn't help but laugh.

"Have you ever committed a murder, Bella?" she asked teasingly.

"Well of course not…"

"Robbed a bank?"

"No."

"Participated in illegal drugs or heavy under aged drinking…?"

"I got a bit tipsy from a glass of champagne at my mother's second wedding, but in my defense it was the only thing that kept me from laughing as Renee danced down the aisle with a man half her age…" she admitted guiltily.

Alice giggled, her point sufficiently made, at least in her own mind. "You"re young Bella, whether you act your age or not. We all do things we aren't proud of but they're only truly unforgivable mistakes if you let them stand in the way of future happiness.

"Short of you taking a life, and even then he'd probably come up with an argument in your defense, I couldn't imagine any thing you've managed to get your self into in your brief 19 years changing Edward's opinion of you. And right now, that opinion is extremely high."

"I don't deserve it."

"He thinks you do."

Bella looked up at Alice with the same burning eyes from earlier, only the defensiveness was now replace with pain. "I hurt the people I love, Alice," she chocked out softly.

Alice watched her finger the small silver bracelet on her arm and took her hand in her own to give it a reassuring squeeze. Bella's naturally pink lips lifted slightly at the corners.

"I'm sorry I upset you. Please don't tell Edward. He'll have my Porsche repossessed," she joked to lighten the tension. It worked, Bella laughed genuinely.

"He bought you a Porsche?" she asked incredulously.

"It's how Edward shows affection. He's always been very generous with his money when it comes to Emmett and I. Our parents are very well off as well and will always help with school tuition and things like that but want us to be able to earn our own way in life. Edward just _gives_ us money. He always says that if he gets to live the life of the rich and famous there's no reason for his siblings to be going hungry," Alice smiled at thoughts of her brother.

Unfortunately while Alice had taken her older brother's generosity and used it to follow her dreams, Emmett had taken it and did... absolutely nothing but land an attractive wife. The over grown child hadn't worked in years and lived off Edward's inheritance. Carlisle and Esme often implored their successful son to cut him off financially so that he'd be motivated to get his life together but Edward refused to leave his brother high and dry.

Bella grinned in understanding, she'd obviously experienced Edward's attempts at generosity and had apparently done a pretty good job of deflecting them since he was currently reduced to giving her a fake job in order to put money in her pockets.

Their meals arrived and they both hummed gleefully as they ate. The two women chatted openly and thoroughly enjoyed each other's company. Both suffered from loneliness in very different ways.

Bella tried to stifle a laugh as Alice went on about how Chanel's newest spring line 'changed her life' and Alice gasped in horror when Bella admitted to only owning 3 pairs of shoes. Alice mentally vowed their next 'day of work' would be devoted to Bella's dainty feet.

When dessert had finally cleared Bella glanced at the screen on her new cell phone and squeaked.

"Oh no, Alice! It's nearly 7! I didn't leave Edward anything to heat up for dinner, he's going to starve," she groaned.

"Bella, Bella, Bella. Don't coddle the man. You can't do everything for them or they start to expect it. _I_ personally have never cooked a day in my life. Of course, that may be one of the reasons I'm still single…" she frowned at the realization and took a healthy gulp of her wine.

Alice took out her wallet to pay for dinner and threw $330 cash, as instructed, on the table in front of Bella. The girl look at the money like it was a poisonous snake.

"What's _this_?" she blanched.

"Your salary for the day. We've been out for eleven hours at thirty dollars an hour. I hope you don't mind, I was thinking it would be better to do this under the table, if you know what I mean. Since technically you're working with me and not at my store it just seems easier…" Alice said innocently. "You're not afraid of 'Big Brother' are you?"

Edward warned her Bella may put up a fight.

"30 dollars! That's- that's ridiculous. We didn't even do anything today but spend your money on _me."_

"Today was about… me investing in you as an employee." _And possibly future sister in law, "_You've go to spend money to make money and all that..." she waved her hand flippantly, "The work will get harder," she lied.

Bella mumbled grumpily and Alice held in her amusement, smiling to herself but pretending not to notice that the first thing Bella did with her newly acquired founds was order her brother a meal to go.

oOoOoOoOo

Edward walked nervously into his dark house. Not so long ago, that would have been exactly the way he wanted it, but tonight the darkness terrified him. He tossed his keys on the counter and went tearing through the empty rooms. The maid had been there, it was newly cleaned, but it was also cold and Bella-less.

There were no delicious smells, no day-brightening smile.

He ran to the back, hoping to find a tired, albeit safe Bella curled up under the covers but felt his gut tighten uncomfortably when he saw the freshly made bed. All her things were laying exactly where they should but his girl was no where to be found.

She should have been home hours ago. She left around 7. It was now well after 8 at night.

He pulled out his cell phone and called Alice, more than a little afraid she was going to confirm that Bella had left at 4 and was official missing. He'd been thinking, worried, about her all day. Not knowing where she was made him extremely uncomfortable. He wasn't used to being so invested in another person. It felt like he was allowing part of his heart to walk around outside of his body where he couldn't protect it.

The line rang three times before going to voicemail. Edward was still cursing pointlessly at the tiny machine when he saw a pair of headlights flash outside the kitchen window.

He was b-lining for the drive way before he could even register his relief.

Bella screamed when he pulled her into a tight embrace the moment she had eased the car door open. Only after she stopped shaking in fear did he realize he probably should have waited for her in the house instead of ambushing her in the dark garage.

"I'm sorry, baby! I didn't mean to- I probably shouldn't have-" he stuttered into her hair, still clutching her tightly.

She looked up and scowled at him but made no attempt at escaping his hold. "You know, if you don't stop scaring me like that I'm going to have a heart attack and keel over. Then you'll feel _really_ bad," she exaggerated with a pout.

Edward laughed and swayed her little body from side to side buoyantly in his arms. He was still riding a high of elation from having her home safe. "I didn't realize you had such a delicate little bunny heart. I promise to be more careful with it," he vowed. "Where were you? You nearly gave _me_ a heart attack." _Not to mention the heartache. _

She craned her neck to see his face better and frowned in confusion. "I had work today. You know… with your sister," she ribbed lightly, talking slowly like one would to explain a concept to a child.

Edward's eyes turned cold and he was grateful Bella was pressed too tightly to his chest to clearly see the anger displayed on his face. "Alice kept you out the _entire _day?" he asked through clenched teeth, his lips pressed into an ominous flat line.

Bella tensed in his arms. She recognized the strain in his voice.

Edward relaxed immediately when her little hand stroked gently cross his cheek. When she spoke her voice was soft and calming. "Hey, it's okay. She just kept me at the mall all day and we lost track of time over dinner. I know a whole ten hours of shopping _sounds _like torture but I actually had a really good time," she smiled.

Edward closed his eyes briefly and pressed his face against her soothing palm. He could tell by looking at her that she _had_ had a good day. She looked more carefree than she had in days of lonely evenings at the house. _Maybe he'd let Alice live…_

"I'm glad you had fun, Bella. But Alice should have known better. You shouldn't be walking around for so long without rest. You must be exhausted," he pointed out. He could feel the slight swell of Bella's pregnant belly pressing against his abdomen and was reminded of how fragile she was. How careful he needed to be with her. He brushed a kiss against her forehead and she giggled.

"I'm not on my death bed, Edward. I can survive getting dragged through Nordstrom's for a few hours. Alice is great, she-"

He held a finger to her lips and she cut off abruptly. "I want to hear all about your day, Bella. All 38 hours of it," he smirked, "But first I want to get you inside and bundled up on the couch. Can I do that?"

She nodded. He reluctantly released her and watched as she scurried back in the car to pull a to-go box out of the passenger seat. "I brought you dinner," she announced proudly, handing him the styrofoam package.

Edward stomach rumbled at the thought and he suddenly realized how hungry he was. It was a feeling he hadn't experienced since Bella moved in. She kept him constantly well fed.

"Bella, you didn't have to-"

"I was actually trying to butter you up," she hinted, looking up at him with her soft brown eyes. He didn't care what the hell it was she wanted… he'd move mountains to give it to her.

"Sweetheart, when you want something you're supposed to hold on to the reward until _after_ you've gotten it. You just handed me the collateral," he chuckled, holding up the box of food.

Bella pouted, her plan foiled.

Edward laughed harder. She was the most heavenly little thing he'd ever seen and he was feeling bold… "Fortunately for you, I'd do just about anything to make you happy. Whether you feed me or not," he confessed.

Bella's cheeks turned completely pink and she ducked her head so quickly Edward almost missed the smile on her face. _Almost_.

"Alice bought me enough clothing to dress a small army. They're currently crammed in the trunk and back seat of your car…" she said pointedly.

"Ah, I see. You need a pack mule," he grinned. She nodded earnestly, pleased he'd caught on so quickly.

Thirty minutes later Edward had earned his dinner by hauling an ungodly amount of shopping bags into Bella's room. Outwardly, he agreed right along with her when she complained about Alice buying her too much, but he was extremely pleased with his little sister.

Bella reheated his meal and plopped next to him on the couch. She squealed girlishly when he pulled her into his lap but after another long day without her, even the smallest amount of space between them bothered him.

_And fuck it. He didn't even want to try hiding it anymore. _

"Ok, baby. I want a detailed report. You talk, I eat," he negotiated. He went to grab the plate of pasta from her hands but she shook her head and held it out of his reach.

He narrowed his eyes and groaned. "Bella, angel, I carried all those bags in and now I'm starving," he whined playfully. She giggled and, much to his surprise, speared a piece of garlic bowtie and brought the loaded fork to his lips.

He smiled broadly at her before opening his mouth like a small child. She was feeding him.

"Well lets see…" she began thoughtfully while refilling the silver utensil, "We spent a few hours at Alice's shop this morning. It's _really_ nice there… too damn expensive though," she said conspiratorially, causing Edward to chuckle between bites.

"I met Angela, she's nearly as nice as Alice. She's the manager," she added in cause he didn't know. He did, of course, but enjoyed the sound of her voice just the same. "But I'm kind of glad I wont be working at the shop. The other women didn't seem to like me all that much. I could have been imagining things but I swear this one girl, Jane I think, was glaring at me the whole time," she told him, sounding just a little hurt.

"They're jealous," Edward said simply.

"Jealous of what?" Bella paused the forks progression towards his mouth to give him time to answer.

"You. You're beautiful."

"I don't think…" Bella blushed to her roots and shoved another hefty bite into Edward's mouth before he could shower her with more embarrassing complements.

"Then we went shopping," she continued hastily, Only I'm not sure that's the correct word to describe what she put me through. Its not extreme enough. We spent _hours _in dressing rooms. They _all_ knew her by name, had piles of clothes waiting in the back for her before we even got there. At first I tried to argue over some of the outfits that were a little too fashion forward for me but somewhere between Barney's and Macy's I just started to smile and nodded a whole lot."

Edward threw his head back suddenly in a fit of laughter, having had similar shopping experiences with Alice, and Bella accidentally smashed a fork full of noodle into his jaw.

Her mouth opened in a surprised little 'o' and she apologized profusely as she reached behind her to swipe a napkin off the coffee table. Her shifting caused her to grind against a steadily growing part of Edward's anatomy and he desperately stifled a groan. He'd had more beautiful women in his arms than he'd bother counting but none made him feel like she did, _yearn_ like she did.

Bella obliviously wiped the sauce off his face and Edward thanked God she was too distracted or too innocent to notice his painfully hard erection pressing against her round bottom. He willed it away with thoughts of dead puppies and the unfortunate task of giving his elderly patents exams.

"And dinner with Alice?" he asked in an attempt to further distract him self, looking anywhere but at the beautiful, full breasts that were dangerously close to his chest.

Bella suddenly looked a little uncomfortable and he quickly wondered if Alice had said something to upset her. "What's wrong, baby? Did some thing happen at dinner?"

She looked up at him, debating whether or not she wanted to confess. "Alice said…" she turned pink again and started pushing pasta across Edward's plate with the tip of the fork.

"She said…" he prompted, lifting his hand from her hip, where it had been supporting her balance, and starting rubbing comforting circles across her slim back.

"Uh, she- she just pointed out some guy that was staring at me from another table…" Bella deflected.

It was an inconsequential part of the girls' conversation that Bella blurted out instead of reiterating Alice's claim that Edward had romantic feelings for her.

But Edward had no way of knowing that.

He stiffened under Bella's cautious glaze. Jealously flooded him like an acidic poison. He didn't know if he wanted to kill Alice for being such a dipshit or him self for not being more forth coming about his feelings for Bella. He thought Alice would have figured it out but obviously not.

He'd have to be sure to set his sister straight in regards to his interest in the beautiful girl on his lap before she started setting her up on blind dates with Seattle singles.

"Oh. Did you get a phone number?" he teased halfheartedly, trying to cover his irrational anger while hoping fervently that she hadn't. He couldn't help but pull her a little bit closer to him. It helped to remind him self that she was there with him and not with another man. _At least for now, _he amended bitterly.

His sullenness depleted quickly when Bella started running her fingers through his thick copper locks. When she touched him like that, almost lovingly, it was easy to convince him self that she shared his wayward feelings. That the perfect little creature could possibly feel the same non-dismissible, completely ridiculous pull as he did.

"I didn't want his number, Edward," Bella whispered softly. She looked nervous but determined. He swelled with hope as he took in her admission.

Edward grabbed the plate from her to free her other hand and leaned forward to place it on the table, any thoughts food long forgotten.

He slowly brought her to straddle his lap and she complied by wrapping her arms hesitantly around his sculpted shoulders. Green eyes examined beautiful brown ones, studying every glimmer for possibly discomfort but found none as he used his hands to press her body against his.

He could feel her shallow breaths against his lips, her heart beats hitting swiftly against his chest. Their noses brushed as space no longer separated the dazed two-some, only the small bump of Bella's growing child tucked safely in her womb.

"I can't tell you how much it relieves me to hear that, baby."

He smile crookedly and she dissolved in his arms. Before he could talk him self out of it or she could change her mind and run screaming from the room, he lifted his large, warm hand to cup the smooth skin of her neck, just below her delicate jaw.

"Can I kiss you, Bella?" he asked bravely, aware that his question could ruin _everything_.

His heart felt as though it stopped beating entirely as he waited the few brief moments for her to nodded her permission.

He wasted no time before gently pressing his lips to hers.

In all the impromptu make out sessions he had participated in during the necessary foreplay before hooking another conquest, Edward had never experience the exhilaration he felt now, with Bella's plump pink lips moving tenderly against his.

He been imagining this moment since the second he first laid eyes on her. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that if it ever happened, it would be great, mind-blowing even, but he had never anticipated the heat that coursed through his body as her little fingers curled encouragingly around the hair at the nap of his neck.

He was on fire with this chaste kiss. He burned for her and she melted for him. He couldn't stop him self from tasting her. He ran his tongue experimentally across her perfect bottom lip and grew excruciatingly hard beneath her when Bella whimpered excitedly and accepted him into her warm mouth. He didn't know if it was just the affect of Bella her self or if she was literally the most talented fucking kisser alive but he really didn't care.

It was _perfect_ and _right_ and when the two finally broke apart it was only to take desperately needed breath. Edward burrowed his nose into her neck and placed an adoration filled kiss against her rapidly beating pulse.

Neither could think of anything to say, Edward because he was still completely blissed, and Bella because she was scared to death.

He felt her grow more and more ridged in his arms with every passing second of silence. His first horrifying thought was that she regretted what had been one of the greatest moments of his young life but when he lifted her chin to look at her beautiful face and beg her forgiveness he saw only trepidation.

He sighed in relief when he realized she was just afraid of his reaction. That was easily remedied. He stroked her cheek and pecked her lips before allowing him self to grin like a fool.

Bella giggled and her body released its previous tension. "Well I bet you regret feeding me garlic before _that_," was the first stroke of genius to escape his mouth.

He winced in mortification but was eased by Bella's dazzling laugh.

"I actually ordered us the same thing," she smiled, "We seem to have similar tastes in most things so far so…"

"We _do_ seem to have a lot in common," he hummed contentedly against her neck. Now that he had kissed her he was itching to do it again but he didn't want to push his luck tonight. She'd given him enough. More than he dared to hope for.

"We should get some sleep, beautiful. I'm still not pleased with Alice for keeping you out so long," he insisted.

The truth had more to do with the fact that his self control was dwindling rapidly and if he kept Bella perched on his neglected length for too much longer he could not be held accountable for his actions.

He kissed her lips just once more, to get him through the night, and helped her pull herself up off the couch.

He wanted to walk her out back and tuck her snuggly into bed… He wanted to carry her upstairs and tuck her snuggly into _his bed._ But he simply wished her pleasant dreams and watched her prance through the yard and disappear behind the guest house door.

With a cheesy grin, Edward padded through the house and switched off the lights. His demeanor was as contracting as it was possible to be with the Edward that had walked into the empty home just an hour and a half earlier.

He journeyed purposefully to his master bathroom.

He need a very cold shower and a nights worth of Bella filled dreams, feeling like he finally had something worth walking up for.

**Thanks so much for the reviews! You guys are absolutely great and I love reading them.**


	10. Chapter 10

"Darling. The phone…" Carlisle grumbled at his sleeping wife as if he were incapable of waking up to answer the offensive ringing himself. It was one of the rare days he wasn't needed at the office until mid-afternoon and a call at 7am was putting a damper on what would have been a perfectly restful morning.

He could _feel_ Esme shoot him a dirty look as she rolled out of bed to retrieve the phone. He sleepily opened one sky blue eye just in time to catch an enticing view of her lovely bottom.

He groaned wantonly… perhaps the wake up call wasn't an entirely negative occurrence. He had plenty of time to sleep but there were never enough hours in the day to love his wife properly.

He sat up with new purpose and waited for Esme to end the unwelcomed call and return to bed.

She looked at him coyly and giggled before answering the line.

"Good morning!" she greeted in a tone Carlisle found far too chipper for the early hour.

"Oh, hello dear… Is everything alright?" she asked the phone with mild concern, her brow knitting between two beautiful hazel eyes.

Her husband growled and pulled a plush pillow over his head. It had to be Emmett. The man called his mother more often a nervous 8 year old during his first summer away at band camp. If he hadn't married such a shrew then maybe he wouldn't need Esme to constantly salvage his ego with maternal adoration… Carlisle snickered to him self. He loved his eldest son but Emmett was far from Edward's sensibility.

"…but why do you want to talk to _him_? I'm not busy…" Esme informed the caller indignantly. Carlisle removed the pillow from his face and sat up against the headboard to pay closer attention. His wife looked livid.

"But…" she paused for the voice on the other line, "I'll make him tell me any way," she warned. The blonde doctor arched an eyebrow in surprise… if he didn't know any better he'd think she was threatening to exploit her power over him.

"Fine," she mumbled curtly. She marched over and all but threw the cordless at her husband. He caught it before staring at her in shock; Esme was an incredibly gentle woman. "It's your son. Don't ask me what he wants because he won't tell me. He's asked to speak with his _father_," she hissed.

He had to turn his face to hide his chuckle. Esme loved her children so dearly and wanted so badly to fix all their problems that when they chose to seek guidance from someone besides her, even her own husband, she tended to be a touch resentful.

She glared before turning on her heel and stomping out of the room. After 20 years of marriage Carlisle knew her well enough to know what she was trying to do. He quickly hit the 'privacy' button on the phone so she wouldn't be able to pick up the other line and listen in. It was only seconds later that he heard her shriek of frustration come from the kitchen. He snickered lightly.

"Good morning, Emmett," he mumbled groggily into the mouth piece.

"_Wrong son, father_," the cool, smooth voice of his middle child corrected. Carlisle's eyes widened impossibly.

"Edward! Well hello, my boy! This certainly explains why your mother just ran into the kitchen to poison my coffee," he mused.

"_Why would she do that?"_

"Well, my guess is that you hardly call at all and even then we haven't received an emergency call from you since your freshman year of college. I think she's a bit bitter you asked for me," he explained, unable to keep the subtle smugness out of his voice. "I'm assuming this call has some urgency, correct? If not I'd have to implore you to call back at a decent hour..." he faked a yawned.

Truthfully he didn't care if Edward was calling for a casual chat. Carlisle would always make time for his pride and joy.

"_It is, Dad_," Edward said in an uncharacteristically soft voice. Carlisle sobered up in an instant and kicked his feet off the side of the bed to listen carefully. His son sounded broken, panicked. Edward wasn't one for the dramatics like Alice or Emmett, if he thought something warranted and emergency, it very often did.

"What is it, Edward?" Carlisle asked in full father mode.

He heard Edward's agonized sigh after a few tense beats of silence. "_My girlfriend… I woke up and- She has a fever… I think she's sick_," he mumbled manically.

Carlisle nearly dropped the phone.

There were so many incomprehensible variables to the broken statement his son had just stuttered out. The fact that Edward had just uttered the words 'my' and 'girlfriend' one after the other like that was only over shadowed by the fear in his voice.

Carlisle and Esme's youngest son was made of steel, entirely unshakable, but today he sounded confused and… terrified.

Carlisle left the girlfriend issue to explore at a slightly later time, something his wife would cheerfully beat him for, and preceded with the advice Edward had undoubtedly called to obtain.

"Uh… well, son, she's lucky to have a doctor so close at hand," he reminded.

"_I don't- I have no clue what to do. She looks so uncomfortable and I can't stand seeing her like this. I just…"_

He sounded like the girl was dying in front of him, not suffering from mild fever.

"How warm is she? Have you given her anything to break it?"

"_Jesus, I don't know how hot she is exactly, not dangerously so, I guess. She was fine when she went to sleep last night, Dad. I cant- she looks so… Fuck, I can't even think straight_…" Edward cursed.

His father had never heard him like this before. It was disconcerting to say the least.

"_Please, I need you to come over and look at her. You're the best there is and I- fuck I feel useless. When she cries I just- fuck!_"

Carlisle gaped into the receiver. "Edward, if she's that seriously ill then maybe you should take her to the hospital…"

"_I-I don't think she's that sick. Maybe a flu? A trip the hospital could put her through stress and I'd rather avoid that if its possible. Rationally I know I wouldn't worry over a patient if they came in with her symptoms but I can't take risks with her. I promised I'd keep her safe and… please, Dad. I can't handle this on my own…"_

"Edward… you're just as qualified as I am to-"

"_She's pregnant." _

Carlisle froze.

A less sensible man would succumb to the impulse to blurt out the thousand questions running rampant through his mind but his son, and possible grandchild, needed him so he could issue his interrogation at a more convenient time. He pressed the phone between his ear and his shoulder while he searched for a pair of jeans.

"Edward your going to need to tell me how warm she is. That's the difference between keeping her resting at home and rushing her to the hospital," he said firmly. Edward had clearly lost all medical knowledge in his nearly hysterical bout of panic so Carlisle spoke with authority in an attempt to jar him from his rather unhelpful state.

"_I told you… not that hot. I don't even have a thermometer at this fucking house. I haven't been sick since I was 15! Maybe 101. something if I had to guess. She's achy and sore too… it hurt her when I picked her up to put her in bed. I nearly lost it then... She's congested and lethargic…_" Edward let out a tormented groan; his father could picture him pulling punishingly on his messy red hair.

Carlisle sighed in relief and slightly slowed his scramble to get dressed. "You and I both know that's a good sign, Edward. A common flu is preferable to a possible infection. Give her a Tylenol for the fever, I shouldn't have to remind you but just for the sake of being thorough… _no _Advil. Try to get her to drink something if you can wake her, juice would be ideal, water if you don't have that, but other wise just make sure she stays in bed and rests until I get there."

"_Right. Tylenol, not Advil, juice, rest, bed_…" he repeated softly to himself, like it was his key to survival. "_We'll be in my bedroom when you get here… I can't thank you enough for coming, Dad._"

Carlisle grinned. "You knew I would. Oh but, Edward?"

"_Yeah_…" he answered cautiously.

"I'm bringing your mother. Good luck with that…"

Carlisle heard a muttered curse come through the line before he ended the call.

He sighed heavily and gazed cautiously through the bedroom door. "Esme, dear?"

She appeared from the hallway, all beauty and irritation and motherly concern.

"Are you going to tell me what that was about?" she asked in a voice that clearly told him he didn't have a choice in the matter and contrasted the threatening demand with a casual sip of her coffee.

Carlisle wasn't even close to brave enough to break this caliber of news to his wife and he was rather shaky on the details as it was.

"Get dressed while I grab my beg… Your son needs our help and has some intense explaining to do."

Esme's annoyance faded quickly into horror. "Edward's? My baby needs me and he called _you_? Is he ill?"

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "…Not exactly, love."

II=II X II=II

Esme tore through the house the second her husband shifted the car into 'park' and he forced himself into a half run to catch up, powerless to stop her.

Even with the advanced warning Carlisle was hardly more prepared for what he found in his son's expansive master bedroom then his oblivious wife.

If not for the distinctive copper hair and piercing green eyes he wouldn't have believed the man on the bed cooing softly and clinging to a stunningly beautiful, albeit sickly looking, brunette was really his son.

Edward was so absorbed in comforting the clearly sleeping woman that he didn't notice their presence until Esme let out an extremely voluminous gasp. Clover green eyes shot up to Carlisle before flooding with visible relief.

"Thank God," Edward whispered to him self. He tucked a lock of chestnut hair away from the girl's pretty face and carefully pulled the thick comforter up under her chin. She squeaked softly in her sleep when he quietly vacated the spot beside her. "It's ok, baby. You're ok," he coddled her sweetly, adoringly.

Somewhere in the recesses of his mind Carlisle processed his intense relief at _not _finding Tanya Denali ill in his son's bed. That terrifying thought had occurred briefly after Edward revealed that his 'girlfriend' was pregnant. Carlisle didn't necessarily dislike the prominent model but he knew well that his son didn't share her feelings and wouldn't put it past her to take matters into her own hands, so to speak, to prevent the end of the romance.

But the sleeping, pale woman was without doubt not Ms. Denali. She didn't seem to look like a familiar member of Seattle's social scene at all. In fact Carlisle was sure he had never seen the young lady in his life, most certainly never with Edward.

She was disarmingly attractive, even in her impaired state. Cute, innocent features and flawless ivory skin. It was hard to say with the layers of blankets his son had buried her under but she didn't look noticeably pregnant.

Carlisle had new hope that Edward hadn't been hiding this for long… it would crush Esme if he had.

Distracted by his own thoughts Carlisle didn't notice his wife's reaction to the scene until she had all but spirited to the girl's side, nearly knocking over her full grown son in the process as the two subtly competed for the space beside the bed.

"Oh Edward! She's just darling," Esme proclaimed without questioning who the strange girl was or what on earth she was doing in her son's bed. She had been waiting for this moment since Edward had joined the family at age 17 and she wasn't about to second guess the sudden appearance her usually stern son fussing over a beautiful woman.

Carlisle rolled his eyes as the pair flitted around the poor girl who was blatantly unreceptive to the company.

He took a determined step forward to save her from being babied to death. "If you two don't mind I'd like to look at her for a moment to make sure we don't have to take her in…"

Edward nodded enthusiastically and pulled his mother from the girl's side while having to exert a shocking amount of physical strength.

Carlisle sat lightly on the edge of the bed and pulled an electronic thermometer from his black leather beg. He looked from the beautiful girl to his anxious looking son. "Her name?"

"Isabella. She prefers Bella."

He nodded and put a gentle hand on the woman's exposed shoulder, rubbing softly to coax her awake. "Isabella? Can you wake up for me for just a moment, Bella?" he asked in a tone that was perhaps a tad bit more personal than his typical professional tenor.

She moaned quietly but opened a sleepy pair of striking brown eyes. Her gaze was strained and confused before it even landed on the unfamiliar blonde doctor. He smiled warmly and she cocked her head slightly to one side, as if the different angle may turn him into someone more recognizable.

Carlisle laughed because his son never stood a chance. _She was adorable._

"I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen, Bella. My son asked me to come take a look at you because you weren't feeling so well. I'd like to take your temperature if that's alright?"

Her features relaxed with recognition. "Of course, thank you, Dr. Cullen. Is Edward-"

"I'm right here, sweetheart," Edward stepped forward from where he'd been watching nervously, still holding back his excited mother.

Isabella smiled at him weakly. "I'm cold," she stated more to her self than anyone else. Edward's eyes widened in panic and shot desperately around the room. Carlisle decided to step in before his son started lighting bedroom furniture on fire in a half-baked effort to keep the fevered female warm.

He held out the thermometer and gestured for her to open up. She parted her little pink lips obediently. They all sat in tense silence while the tiny device set to work. Bella wheezed slightly as her congested nose fought to provide her with air while her mouth was otherwise preoccupied. Edward looked as though he might pass out from worry and grief. Carlisle preferred the ear thermometer he had at the hospital.

Three beeps and he pulled the stick from her mouth.

He smiled, satisfied. "You're at 101.4, Bella. Just warm enough to keep you uncomfortable but not hot enough to harm either of you."

Esme inhaled sharply, an almost choking sound. "Either of them?" she squeaked, looking from Edward to Bella in rapid succession. Her son stiffened and became suddenly very interested in the pattern on the curtains.

Carlisle shook his head, helplessly amused. Bella looked too tired and uncomfortable to care about the room's tension. He liked her a great deal already.

"Well now that that cats out of the bag how far along is Bella?" he asked his irritated son. Bella had already appeared to have dozed off.

Edward glared at him. "About 12 weeks," he replied dryly, refusing to look at the bouncing Esme.

Carlisle nodded and pulled the blanket back around Bella's small frame before standing up slowly, careful not to shift the bed and disturb her further. "She's just caught a bug, Edward. Nothing serious as long as she doesn't get any warmer and we can get her fever down soon. She's obviously congested and uneasy but she'll be fine with plenty of rest and fluids-"

Esme clapped quietly, trying to curve her excitement so as not to wake the sleeping beauty. "I'll run to the market! She needs my chicken soup and she'll be better before you know it," she beamed, holding out her small hand for the keys to her husband's Mercedes.

Edward cleared his throat reluctantly. "There's a full kitchen's worth of groceries. I had them delivered yesterday…" he muttered lowly.

Carlisle and Esme frowned. The last time they had managed and invitation to Edward's home, admittedly quite some time ago, they had found nothing in his sub zero refrigerator but a case of Coca-Cola and a half consumed bottle of vodka.

He squirmed restlessly under their questioning stares, running a ridged hand through his terrorized copper locks. "Bella moved in about a week ago… she enjoys cooking," he explained as casually as he could muster.

Esme threw her self around her son, absurdly happy, and nearly squeezed the life out him. He patted her back somewhat awkwardly. Almost as quickly as she had reacted positively she took a step back and gave her son a hard punch to his arm. He hissed with a grimace and rubbed the battered spot, staring at the normally sweet woman. "Edward Anthony how could you possibly keep something like this from your mother!" she glared. Her second son gave her a charming, guilty smile.

Carlisle wasn't so easily satisfied. He wanted answers before he accepted this unprecedented change in his son's priorities. He gave Edward a meaningful look. "I think we should discuss this down stairs and let Isabella get some rest."

Edward looked longingly at the sick girl before shaking his head. "I'm not leaving her. She could wake up. She needs me," he said, adamant.

Carlisle snorted, not thirty minutes ago Edward had called him in a panicked stupor without the mental clarity to treat a girl with the common flu but now suddenly believed she wouldn't survive if he stepped out of the room.

Esme was far more conducive. She patted her son's cheeks sweetly, something he hadn't allowed her to do since he was 19, and gave him a compassionate smile. "You go talk to your father, dear. I'll watch her close and make sure she has every thing she needs. Carlisle can fill me in later," she offered.

Carlisle knew she didn't care to hear the politics of the relationship or how the arrangement had come to be. She was fully ready to embrace it regardless of the details. That was just Esme's nature. She was the only one in the family that still held out hope for Rosalie. Bella was young and rather delicate, she invoked in Esme a need to nurture that Edward had never allowed her to completely indulge in. If she could shower her attention on someone that was clearly dear to him it would be just as gratifying.

Edward looked like he might argue, like the only way they'd get him away from the pregnant woman would be to physically drag him from the room, but he knew well that Esme was more than capable of out witting, if not overpowering, even the largest of men so he surrendered without much of a fight. He walked over to Bella's side and gave the bridge of her nose a few feather light strokes with the back of his finger before tearing him self from her and stomping out the room stubbornly.

Carlisle followed him into the large study where they both sat tense as stone in the expensive Italian leather chairs.

This was a new experience for the two of them. While Carlisle had sat through many _interesting_ talks with Emmett over the years Edward had always been tediously predictable. Even his numerous female conquests had been discretely handled and though they had caused Esme and Alice constant grief, they had never really proved an issue in the course of Edward's overwhelming success and achievement.

Carlisle gazed expectantly at his son but Edward looked reluctant to start.

"Its not how it seems," he finally settled on when the silence grew too stressed for him.

Carlisle looked speculative. "Isn't it? Why don't you explain it to me then."

Edward frowned and shook his head from side to side, as if to clear it.

"Bella's 12 weeks pregnant but I only just met her last Tuesday. I had a volunteer shift at the free clinic downtown and I saw her there. She waited all day, was still waiting when my shift ended. She… well she's gorgeous, obviously, so I started talking to her. I guess the long story short would be that I brought her home that night and she's been with me ever since," Edward explained with the wariness of a man that had told this store far too many times for his liking, most slightly varied versions of the truth.

"How old is she?" was the most pressing question on Carlisle's list. He had noticed Bella's youthful appearance the moment he saw her but assumed that it had been exaggerated by her vulnerable state. Now he wasn't so sure. Edward winced and he knew his son had been hoping to delay the start to that particular conversation.

"Nearly 20," he exaggerated sheepishly.

"Jesus, Edward!"

"She's an adult."

"By the most rudimentary of definitions! Are you sleeping with her?" Carlisle demanded incredulously.

Edward's jaw grew tight and his green eyes cold. "I don't see how that's any of your business but no I'm not sleeping with her. I've only just met her and she's not a common whore," he spat.

Carlisle glared at him disbelievingly. "You called her your girlfriend."

"I didn't know how else to explain our relationship. What I feel for her extends past the point of friendship but I don't know if she's completely interested in me that way."

"Why wouldn't she be? She moved in with a stranger. She's interested in you for _something_."

Edward looked furious and Carlisle sensed right away that another derogatory comment about the girl would send him into a rage. He made an effort to convert his posture into a more passive stance and tried to calm himself. There had to be a way to get him to see reason without destroying the already tenuous relationship him and Esme had with their reclusive son.

"What about her family? Where was she living before?" he asked instead.

"She left home when she found out she was pregnant. She was sleeping in her truck when I met her."

"Edward, there's plenty of very note worthy women's shelters-"

Edward lunged upward with such force that he nearly knocked over the heavy chair he was seated in. "She doesn't belong in a shelter, she belongs with me."

Carlisle threw his hands up in a sign of submission but didn't vary from his argument. "You can't keep her like a stray puppy, Edward. It's not a healthy situation for either of you. You'll get tired of her and then what? You've never had a stable relationship in your life."

"I've never wanted one!" Edward bellowed, now pacing the far wall of the room. "I've never felt _anything _for _anyone_ before I met Bella, but it was instant with her. Its not like I could have gotten her number and asked her to coffee. She would have walked out of that clinic and I never would have seen her again. Wouldn't have known she was safe…

Maybe I ran the risk of her not turning out to be what I hoped in the beginning but she's been here a week and I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that if Bella leaves this house its going to because she no longer wants to be here. I'll never want her gone, I think she's incredible.

You haven't one clue how special that girl has become to me."

"Do you love her?" Carlisle asked mockingly. He couldn't help him self. This conversation too closely resembled an argument the two might have had if Edward had ever been a typical sentimental and irrational teenager.

Edward glared at him, knowing well when he was being patronized. "To claim that I love her without knowing her completely would under mind the very real feelings I do have for Bella. She makes me… hopeful. To have the possibility that I could care for someone like you care for mom is more than I ever dreamt to hope for," he looked at his dad with a small menacing grin, "You're well aware that I wouldn't know what love felt like if it hit me in the face. I've never _loved_ anyone, not even close."

Carlisle grimaced. He didn't like the situation. Not at all. But even if Edward's attachment to the girl was a purely physiological reaction to years of self induced loneliness Bella could still be a step in the right direction. Carlisle just wished he'd connected with someone who was less of a risk. This 19-year-old girl could ruin him. Young girls had a tendency to be manipulative and selfish, and if this one was some kind of pregnant run away…

"Don't you think she should be with her family?" he argued hopelessly.

Edward shook his head, looking more than a little horrified of the very idea of Bella leaving him. "I'm not _keeping _her from her parents, Dad. She had no intention of going back to her family regardless of whether or not she had my help. I'm not letting her go to a shelter or stay out on the streets. I can take care of her."

"You're enabling her. If she struggled for a little longer she might have gone home by now."

Edward turned red and truthfully Carlisle was a little afraid. His son would never be violent towards him but that assumption went right along with the one about how Edward would never tolerate a stranger in his personal space or start a relationship with a barely adult girl.

"What if she's comes and lives with me and your mother?" Carlisle offered strategically, their house was just as large and their resources nearly as vast. If it meant getting his son out of a dangerous situation he'd invite the girl into his space, "Esme would love have someone to take care of and you'd be able to get the know her under less dysfunctional circumstances. You can't replace the girl's entire world, be her only means of financial and emotional support. You'll never know if her feelings for you and natural or forced..."

Edward's entire face drained of color, "You can't take her away from me. No one can. She belongs here until she decides she no longer wants to be here and if I have anything to do with it, that wont happen."

"You've known her for a week!"

"That obviously doesn't matter. I thought I lost her this morning and it was agony," Edward muttered.

"She has the damn flu, Edward. Don't be dramatic," he snapped back.

Edward let out a bitter laugh. "I didn't think she was going to die. When I woke this morning… and she wasn't there…"

"She sleeps with you!"

Edward sighed and plopped down in a different, further away, arm chair. "She sleeps in the guest house out back. We eat breakfast together every morning. She cooks for us."

"And she was sick in bed this morning…" Carlisle deduced, still slightly lost.

Edward looked down at his lap, embarrassed. "I kissed her last night, for the first time. She kissed me back and it was… beyond amazing. But when I came down this morning at the usual time and she wasn't there, I thought…"

Carlisle laughed. "You thought she ran out on you."

Edward nodded. "I was so mad at my self. For touching her. I thought I'd scared her off. I've never felt like that before. It was _devastating_. To go from waking up completely elated because I'd finally gotten to kiss her to thinking she was gone because I'd pushed her too far.

When I saw that her truck was still parked out back I figured that she was just packing her begs or waiting until I stepped out to slip away. Today's my day off but I almost left the house anyway, just so I didn't have to deal with the disappointment of watching her leave."

This didn't surprise Carlisle. Avoidance by diversion was his son's signature coping mechanism. It was the reason he had become a brilliant academic success after the death of his beloved mother and the force that caused him to throw himself fully into a challenging and time consuming profession when he realized he couldn't connect to a woman on anything but a purely physical level.

Edward chuckled to himself. "I had nearly finished getting ready for the gym when I physically couldn't take the thought of her leaving anymore. I ran outside and stood at her door for twenty minutes begging her not to go. Promising that I'd never, ever touch her again if she'd just stay with me. After she ignored me completely I started pleading for her to say _anything._ I talked to her fucking door for a full half hour before I freaked out and busted into the room."

They both laughed at his stupidity and the accompanying mental image. Carlisle grew marginally more relaxed and open minded than he had been at the beginning of the conversation. Edward under the influence of sultry brown eyes seemed refreshingly more human.

"When I found her in bed, cold and weak and miserable I couldn't even be relieved that she hadn't been planning on leaving me. I couldn't _do anything _but stare at her uselessly. What if she had really been in danger? It's my job take care of pregnant women everyday and I couldn't even begin to think about how to take care of _my_ pregnant woman," he admitted, shamefaced.

Carlisle smirked, this was something he could empathize with. "That's a lesson most doctors learn quickly, son. It's one thing to treat a stranger but having to view someone you care about in medical terms is petrifying. You've always been extremely healthy but had you ever gotten sick at home you would have found you're self in Esme's care.

Once I found out all the terrible things that could go wrong with the human body it was impossible to see my kids ill and not over react. After I rushed Emmett to the E.R. unnecessarily for the third time your mother vetoed my power as our families primary care provider."

"Emmett did get sick a lot," Edward mused.

"He was a chronic sufferer of food poisoning. The boy would put anything in his mouth."

"That really hasn't changed."

"Yeah but at least now it's Rosalie's problem," he smiled conspiratorially.

A beat of awkward since engulfed the room

"Thanks for coming. I guess I just needed you and mom here," Edward conceded softly, admitting his need for his parent's support for the first time in Carlisle's memory. "You'll love her if you give her a chance. She spent the day with Alice yesterday and she adored her."

Carlisle frowned. "Does you're brother know about her too?" Edward nodded. He felt a little betrayed by this other two children. Surely they knew this wasn't a secrete safe to keep from their parents. All around mutiny.

Carlisle leaned forward and ran his palms nervously down the thighs of his jeans. "Listen, son, I think this is a mistake. Bella's character aside, I'm sure she's lovely, I don't think this arrangement is safe for either of you. It's too much too soon and it'll only lead to a dysfunctional co-dependance if it works at all.

That being said, I also realize that you're a grown man and that this is your mistake to make."

Edward looked into the sincere blue eyes of his mentor and nodded slowly in agreement, knowing that was as close the acceptance as he was going to get for now. It was enough. He was going to make this work. He'd make his father proud again and he'd do right by his Bella, no matter what role she'd allow him to play in her life.

"I understand. But I need _you_ to understand this…" he warned seriously, his voice hardening once again, "When you're here you are in Bella's home. There are plenty of places she'll go where I won't be able to protect her but when she's _here_ I'll do everything in my power to make sure she feels safe and comfortable. I appreciate your help this morning, truly, but if you make her feel like she's being judged or scrutinized in her own home you are not welcomed here."

The hairs on Carlisle neck prickled at the sound of fierce conviction in his son's proclamation. He knew then that this angel faced stranger was either going to save his family by healing his son, or rip it apart right along with Edward's heart.

He warily nodded his acceptance.

II=II X II=II

"She's the most beautiful thing in the world isn't she?" Edward grinned crookedly as he walked back into his bedroom to find his attentive mother watching over an unconscious Bella, just as she'd promised.

After a rather heated argument with his father it felt good to see that Esme was clearly just as taken with Bella as he was.

She beamed at him. "Pretty close."

Edward moved through the room and took his place by Bella's side. He carefully brushed his hand over her silken mahogany hair. She was still warm but he could see a light sheen of perspiration across her pale skin that told him the pills he'd given her were doing their job. He'd never seen a lovelier little creature than Bella Swan. Still, this wasn't the way he'd imagined getting her into his bed…

He shot his mother a playful scowl. "Close? I don't believe you. There's nothing on earth that comes close."

She smiled, delighted at seeing a side of her son she hadn't been sure existed and walked forward to rub his stiff shoulders. "Of course there is… There's you."

Edward turned pink but grinned shyly. They both sat silently, watching over Bella as she slept on, oblivious to their protective vigil. He knew that if she was to wake at that moment she would be quite embarrassed, a small part of him wished she would… then at least he'd get to comfort her and see that fantastic blush.

He sighed and turned to his mom, knowing he couldn't allow her to get her hopes up any further than they already were.

"Bella's child isn't mine, mom. She was already pregnant when we met," he confessed. He lifted his green eyes to watch her face for sighs of disappointed tears, he didn't know what he'd do if he had to see two of his favorite women shed them this morning.

Esme just looked between him and Bella, deep in thought as she reassessed the scene. "You care about her though… A great deal."

He grinned softly and nodded, still stroking Bella's long hair with affection, his heart swelling when she leaned sleepily into his touch. "She's come to mean a lot to me in the short amount of time I've had her in my life."

His mother smiled with adoring eyes. "It's easy to see."

"Are you disappointed?"

She laughed quietly but shook her head. "Is my son so full of him self that he believes his child will bring our family more joy than a child that doesn't share his blood?" She raised an eyebrow in a reprimanding gaze. "A baby is a baby, Edward. If I know anything about loving children its that blood relation means less than nothing."

Edward's mind reeled at his mother's words. He looked down at his perfect Bella , knowing all too well she'd never be able to match the intensity of his feelings. She'd be certifiable if she did. The irony wasn't lost on him. He'd broken many hearts and was now setting him self up for the most excruciating pain of all.

He'd never considered the role he'd play in her child's life if she were to give him a chance. He knew better than most that her tiny bump would eventually translate to a tiny human but that thought was too monumental to think about yet. Everything was still too new.

"We've only just started to get to know each other. She has no obligation to me. She could leave months before she brings her child into the world. I don't want you to get your hopes up," he warned, though he wasn't sure if the words were meant for his mother or himself.

Esme ran her hands through his impossible hair as he sat on the bed staring at the girl like it would kill him dead to watch her walk away. "Just be good to her, Edward. Alice and I have always known there was a gentleman in there just begging to be let out. Treat her well and she won't be able to walk away from you."

Edward nodded. He could do that. He was trying to do that.

"Dad's down stairs eating my cake. Bella made that cake for me," he huffed in an effort to bring the conversation to a lighter place.

"That's the price of a house call these days, dear." Esme giggled.

He exhaled dramatically. "Bella bakes every night. I just have to get her well again before we both starve to death."

Esme pretended to give her perfect son a once over, "You do look like you've gained some weight," she teased seriously.

Edward blanched. He knew he'd been indulging and neglecting the gym to spend his free time with Bella but it had only been a week! He looked down to his toned, cloth covered stomach and examined it for signs of none existent fat build up.

Esme bite the inside on her cheek and tried desperately not to laugh.

Bella began to stir restlessly and Edward pulled his hand back so as not to be caught petting her like a kitten as she slept. Her little eyes fluttered open and she looked around the unfamiliar room groggily. She tried to sit up but fell back quickly, over come by weakness and an unpleasant head rush.

"Whoa, baby," Edward panicked, contemplating whether or not it would be ethical to tie her safely to the bed. "You need to stay put, little one. What do you need? I'll get you anything you want."

She blinked at him, dazed. He knew she was stubbornly about to argue with him, even sick she was aggravatingly independent. He gave her a gentle but unyielding look and she sighed, clearly deciding she didn't have the energy to fight him properly.

She shifted her weight to assess the achiness of her limbs and winced. "What's wrong with me?"

Her voice was a little stuffy but just as sweet… Just when he thought she couldn't get any cuter.

Edward smiled reassuringly at her. "Just a flu, baby. You're both safe. Your fever seems to be dropping already." He was relieved to see that she was drastically more lucid than she had been during her other bouts of consciousness that morning.

"Huh. I guess I should have gotten my flu shot this year."

"We'll have Jazz give it to you when you go in to see him next week," he agreed. If he had know she wasn't properly vaccinated he wouldn't have allowed himself within 5 square miles of her. He had been given all his proper precautions and had the added bonus being born with a fiercely competent immune system but it had occurred to him almost instantly after finding her writhing in bed that he had probably exposed her to a germ he carelessly carried home from the hospital. "You probably caught it from me, Bella. I'm so sorry," he apologized with a heavy dose of self loathing.

Bella must have noticed the pain flash through his expression because she wrapped her tiny warm hand around his. He felt instantly better as her thumb slid softly up and down his wrist. She gave him a brave smile. "Alice dragged me through several malls with thousands of people yesterday. I'm content with blaming all of this on her if you are. My feet still hurt from all that walking," she joked. Edward could see her wiggle her toes under the blanket.

Esme gasped at the realization that her daughter had been holding out on her and Edward tried not to laugh when Bella nearly jumped out of her skin. She obviously hadn't noticed they weren't alone.

"Bella, this is my mother Esme. Mom, this is… my Bella," he announced proudly, squeezing Bella's a hand in his to sooth her.

Esme beamed and Bella turned fire engine red.

"Its nice to meet you, dear," his mother greeted happily.

Bella looked as though she may burrow into the covers a refuse to come back out.

"I-Its nice you meet you too, Mrs. Cullen. I thought your husband took my temperature earlier but I'd hoped it was a dream. I certainly never intended to meet you looking like this," Bella flushed and gestured to her disheveled appearance. She griped Edward's hand almost punishingly hard and he got the feeling she wasn't entirely pleased with him.

Esme brushed her off. "Nonsense, darling. Those pajamas look stunning on you," she winked. Edward reminded him self to thank Esme later for putting Bella at ease when he felt her loosen her grip to allow the blood to rush painfully back into his hand.

She turned to Edward shyly. "I'm so thirsty."

He went to jump up immediately and sprint to the kitchen to get her something cold to drink but his mom put a hand on his shoulder to keep him seated. "I'll get it, Edward. You just sit here and keep her company."

Edward nodded, relieved that he didn't have to leave Bella's side.

"Thank you, Mrs. Cullen."

"Its Esme, dear."

Bella smiled, "Alice said you'd insist on that."

Esme's eyes narrowed. "Right. I'm going to have to have a talk with that girl about keeping secrets from her mother," she muttered before gliding smoothly from the room.

Bella turned on Edward and glared. He recoiled slightly. He'd upset the kitten again…

"How could you do this to me?" she sniffed.

Edward blinked at her innocently. "Do what?"

"Carry me into the house and invite your parents over when I look like this!" she squeaked, her volume muted by congestion.

"My fathers the best obstetrician in Washington! I wanted him to see you," he defended. He'd do it a hundred times over to insure her safety, "And you look as beautiful as always, Bella," he added simply.

He briefly rejoiced in the fact that Bella thought meeting his parents was a big deal… She wouldn't be embarrassed to meet a _friend's_ parents in pj's, would she?

She groaned. "Stop with the flattery, Cullen." He snorted at Bella's stern use of his last name, he'd never had it hissed at him like an insult before. _Pregnant woman are ornery._

"I have the flu, Edward. I would have lived. I'm all sweaty and smelly and look like I've been hit by a truck and I have to open my eyes and see _that,_" she pointed out the door his mother had just walked through. "You're mothers Aphrodite and I thought you father was a flipping angel when I woke up to him poking me."

Edward sulked mentally. He was better looking that Carlisle… wasn't he? Sure, he had the whole sparkly blue eye thing going for him but-

Bella's sigh broke him out of his internal jealousy. He must have been doing poor job of hiding his pout because Bella sat up against the headboard carefully and placed a gentle hand against his cheek. He nuzzled his nose into her palm and she laughed his favorite laugh.

"Don't listen to me. I'm being grumpy and ungrateful," she apologized with a gentle voice.

He grinned crookedly because he knew it made her melt. It was easier to gain her forgiveness than he anticipated. "No, you're right, baby. I should have considered how uncomfortable having them here would be for you. I just worry and I panicked. I'm very sorry," he threw in a coy puppy dog pout for good measure and turned his head to kiss the hand she now had running through his hair.

Bella was giggling girlishly when Esme walked back into the room with a large iced glass of fruit juice. The couple both shot away from each other quickly, surprised at how close they had drifted without having noticed.

Edward took the glass from his mom and tried to lift it to Bella's lips. She batted him away playfully and took the cup to drink from it without his help.

She thought he was treating her like a child but he really just wanted to care for her like a princess.

II=II X II=II

Carlisle and Esme sat tensely in the car as they made their way home several hours later. He had to be with a patient by 1:00 and he was already running late due to the significant amount of time it had taken him to drag his wife from Bella's side.

He had spent the remainder of the visit in front of his son's massive flat screen, shamelessly munching on left over's Bella had sweetly packed away in the fridge.

His wife was already in love, and though he didn't doubt he'd probably adore the young woman who had melted his son's heart, he felt it would be in everyone best interest if not all of them got too personally attached to the girl in the event that things went south. He'd keep his distance from Bella, for his son's sake, just so one of them could remain objective.

Even so, he wasn't prepared to deny that Isabella was the best cook he'd ever had the pleasure of eating from, though he'd happily cut out his own tongue before admitting it to his wife.

He hated being so cold and standoffish but he'd always held a soft spot for Edward and couldn't stand the thought of him hurting more than he already did.

"This isn't right," he crocked out finally when he realized Esme's unwillingness to breech the subject. "What if she's just using him as a means to an end? I don't think I can sit back and watch our son get crushed."

He kept his eyes trained firmly on the road but felt his wife's hand wrap around his thigh comfortingly. Her touch still eased him, even after all these years.

"She's a sweet girl, Carlisle. She doesn't seem like a game player. That's not to say that he won't get hurt but I never thought I'd get see him let some one in. Its incredibly promising. Plus, its better to have loved and lost and all that…" she chimed cheerfully.

"She's having someone else's child. This isn't some woman he unintentionally impregnated. That baby isn't not even his," he droned, exasperated by her calm.

"Would you prefer he be stuck with one of those girl he cares nothing about? Carlisle, he _picked her_. Not out of obligation but because he truly adores her. I honestly couldn't be happier that little baby isn't his. I don't think I'd believe his sentiment if it was.

He's never had feelings for anyone but he feels so strongly about her that he's able to look past the less than ideal circumstances. You should spend less time reprimanding him for his attachment and more time expressing how proud you are that he's over coming his aversion to affection." She gave him a pointed look but he kept his head aimed straight and missed it entirely.

"That just it, Esme. He already has such a hard time allowing people into his life. We've had to work so hard to maintain our relationship with him. What if she, as the first person he's ever tried to trust, hurts him and he gives up all together?"

"You're afraid to lose him," she summed up softly.

"Aren't you?"

"We already are."

Carlisle was taken aback by the truthfulness in his wife's words. Edward had been growing more and more distant with every passing year. The intense loyalty and love his son always expressed towards the family held the undertones of someone who feels as though they don't belong. How long would they be able to convince him to stay in Seattle when it was clear he longed for Chicago?

"Carlisle, if nothing changes then he'll eventually pull away from us regardless. Maybe she will break his heart, but hopefully, if we're lucky, she'll remind him that he's worth loving."

II=II X II=II

Charlie Swan woke with a start to a familiar pounding on his front door. He had fallen asleep on his living room couch again, fully clothed with an open box of pizza splayed across the small coffee table.

It was late. Maybe midnight, but he had come to expect these night time visits. He hoisted his wary body off his makeshift bed and shuffled hesitantly to the door.

The boy behind it looked worse tonight than he had the last couple of weeks. His massive frame appeared smaller somehow, defeated. The short cropped hair was still a bit of a shock; he'd worn that ponytail since he was a kid. She had loved to run her fingers through it when the two sat lazily on the sofa. When she disappeared, it did too.

The old police chief didn't say anything. He didn't need to. He just moved aside and the boy walked right on in, like a well rehearsed dance.

Charlie sat in his chair and the giant boy plopped ungracefully across the couch. Most nights neither said a word, both content in using the other's proximity to feel closer to her.

Charlie could already tell tonight wasn't one of those nights.

Still, it was close to an hour later that the silence was disrupted by the boy's tormented cry.

"Every morning... Every morning I wake up and for just a few seconds I still think every things okay. Every time I open my eyes it takes me a few moments to remember she's gone. Its been weeks but it hits me just as hard _every fucking morning_," he growled, his deep baritone steadily gaining volume.

Charlie was hardly ever surprised by the actual words any more but the bitterness… the bitterness was something he'd take a while to get used to.

"I wonder how long she'll have to stay away before those seconds of peace are gone too."

**Semi Spoiler-**

**So... before you ask... There's not going to be some crazy Jake-Edward custody battle. I'm strictly team Edward and this story is more about Edward-Bella's journey while dealing with the circumstances than it is about over coming the old Jake-Bella relationship. So don't sweat it if you're not a fan of his. My philosophy on the issue follows S.M.'s characters. Bella is capable of loving Jake but never in the way she loves Edward. That work for you guys? **

**Love the reviews guys. If you have time to write them I always appreciate it. Thanks so much.**


	11. Chapter 11

"Edward, please. You're being unreasonable," she groaned weakly.

It wasn't the first time he'd heard the sentiment, having just had a similar conversation with his father a few hours before, under an extremely different subject matter. But just like the earlier conversation, he wasn't willing to concede an inch. Though his every instinct implored him to give Bella all that she asked for. She was undoubtedly more charming to him than Carlisle.

He pulled a chair up to the side of his bed, masculinely pretending the heavy wood was less of a strain on his arm than it really was, and took a vigilant seat next to his sickly houseguest. Her color was much better, skin still flushed but no longer clammy like it had been that morning. Her hair was thoroughly mussed and she hadn't a stitch of makeup on but Edward still knew she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, certainly the most desirable creature to have ever graced his bed.

"I think the concept is hardly unreasonable, Bella," he told her softly, leaning forward to press his palm against her warm forehead. She was no longer fevered, hadn't been since that morning, but he felt a guilty trill of exhilaration every time she subtly leaned her beautifully flushed face into his cool touch.

"I've gotten you sick and I'm not going to leave your side until I've nursed you back to health," he gave her a crooked grin, a far contrast from the petulant little frown that adorned her face. "You should feel honored," the attractive doctor goaded, "A few of my patients think I'm quite good at what I do."

The corners of her pink lips twitched with suppressed amusement. She wasn't exceptionally gifted at maintaining annoyance. It was one of Edward's favorite qualities among her list of many positive attributes. The women of his family could hold a grudge for months…"What do the rest of them think?"

He shrugged a faux dismissal. "It doesn't matter. They obviously don't know what they're talking about."

Bella giggled. The sound made Edward unendingly pleased with himself. "I really feel much better already," she sighed sweetly, her laughter subsiding into a more pleasant mood, "I think it's silly that you'd miss out on work to take care of me. As if I'm not imposing enough on you as it is."

It was his turn to scowl disapprovingly. He couldn't stand that she thought of herself as a hindrance. He didn't know how to tell her how embarrassingly happy she made him without sounding insane or putting too much pressure on her.

"I wish you wouldn't talk like that, baby," he reprimanded, gazing at her with earnest green eyes. "Everyone has their priorities and it was my choice to make you one of mine."

Bella's cheeks heated and she settled a little deeper into the half dozen blankets Edward had meticulously cocooned her in. She was as docile and shy as she was beautiful and he found himself working extra hard to make sure he didn't speak to her in the same way he would his usual breed of female, the type that blossomed under superficial compliments.

"Even so, I'm sure your career out ranks me," she insisted lowly.

Edward's answering laugh was stiff and uncomfortable. He wasn't completely sure her statement was true. He didn't need the money but he was becoming more and more certain that he needed her. "I didn't resign so that I can stay home with you for the rest of my life. I just called in for the next two days, Bella. It wasn't a big deal," he lied, his voice smooth and even.

It kind of _was_ a big deal. He had to tell Aro, his department head, that he was deathly ill and remind the man that it is unethical for a physician to knowingly come into work impaired and expose his pregnant patients to whatever germ he might be carrying. He may have also promised a donation towards the hospital's new ultra sound machines…

It was times like these when Edward wished he had his best friend's gall. No one really questioned things when Jasper didn't show up for a shift. He'd stroll in the next day, unshaven and tell the "Yanks" in administration that he'd found a real beauty and they'd hit the bottle too hard. It was the main reason the Texan got stuck with the undesirable shifts. Edward and the nurses found him far more amusing than Aro seemed to.

Bella was worth sticking his neck out for. Worth smudging a little of his good reputation. He wanted to show her that he was willing to put her before all else, his work, even his friends and family. His mother had told him to be good to her and he was determined to prove that he was a good provider _and_ nurturer. He might not be able to prepare her a palatable meal but he was more than qualified to take care of mother and baby.

He'd never actually had to woo a woman before and was worried about trying his hand at it for the first time when the stakes were so high. He felt a bit silly, like a male peacock trying to show the coveted female that he had the brightest feathers.

The color drained from her face as his words jarred an unrelated thought, "Oh god… Alice! I was supposed to… Edward, I missed work!" she gasped, stuttering as her thoughts spilled faster than her mouth was prepared to voice them. Her little brown eyes widened with panic and he saw a startlingly quick line of moisture build on the fringe of her bottom lashes.

"Easy, Baby," he murmured, moving himself from his chair to the edge of his bed to coddle the emotional woman.

He figured it was her pregnancy that had her so quick to become upset but since he'd yet to meet the unpregnant version of Bella there was no telling for sure. Either way he enjoyed being able to hold her in his arms when she needed comforting.

She easily allowed him to hook an arm around her small shoulder and tuck her against his chest. He felt perfect just like that, his body angled towards the beauty as the two lay side by side.

Edward lifted his hand to stroke the back of his finger along her heart shaped face, his deep voice eternally gentle with her, "I already called Alice, sweetheart. She completely understands. She wanted me to tell you to get plenty off rest and call her in a few days to work out a schedule," he reassured her.

He was giving himself more credit than he deserved. He hadn't actually remembered to call his sister; rather, she had called him, concerned, when Bella hadn't shown up for work that morning. He also had to insist that Isabella was highly contagious to keep Alice from rushing over to visit her newest employee. He felt a bit guilty for keeping away Bella's only friend in the area but his mother and father had already been looming around his space and he wasn't thrilled by the prospect of an impromptu family reunion.

Bella didn't look any less mortified. Edward tried to smooth the worry line between her brows with the pad of his thumb but it stayed firmly in place. "This is just a fantastic first impression to make…" she muttered, berating. "Only my second day and I don't show up… I don't even remember to call in…"

"_Hey_," he interrupted, "You were sick, baby. No one's going to think less of you for that. And you made your first impression yesterday. A damn good one according to Alice."

Bella's stunning eyes blinked up at him, searching his face for any indication that she was being patronized. "Yeah?" she asked hopefully.

Edward grinned, "She adores you, Bella. But I already knew she would." The women in Alice's industry were cut throat and catty. That wasn't his baby sister at all. She needed honest and genuine friends like Isabella.

She seemed content with his answer, relaxing the set of her shoulders and molding herself against him comfortably. He knew she hadn't gotten a chance to shower all day but she still smelt like strawberries and freesia and everything fucking good in the world. He always appreciated it when a woman wore a pleasant scent but noticed that the chemical fragrances burned his nose after prolonged exposure. Bella's wasn't like that all. He could keep her tucked in his arms just like that and never grow tired of it.

To him it was nearly a perfect metaphor for the way he longed to keep the tiny beauty close when he had quickly pushed away her lack luster predecessors. They had worked well for a short affair but the thought of committing to any of them was unfathomable.

He took a discrete sniff of her tussled brown hair and masked the sound with a soft sigh. "She knows you're pregnant, baby. This is going to be hard on your body and some days you're just not going to feel up to going to work. Whether you're not feeling well or you're just having an off morning. She understands that and knew it when she hired you," he reasoned, "Give yourself a break."

Bella glared at him. It didn't worry him any, he could see a healthy amount of humor in the expression. "She's a very lenient boss, Mr. Cullen. I have to wonder if she's getting some outside influence…"

He gave the girl a sheepish grin, though there was no hint of remorse, "Well I don't know if you've noticed, _Ms. Swan_," he copied her playful formality, "but I'm quite fond of you and I happened to have a bit of pull with your new employer."

"It's not nice to threaten her little car," she giggled, remembering Alice's plea at their dinner.

Edward's lips straightened ruefully, "I paid off that ridiculous yellow vehicle and put it in her name ages ago. I wouldn't be able to take it back if I wanted to," he chuckled, "I just haven't told her that yet…"

His kind hearted little companion found his falsehood funnier than he suspected she would. Her soft laugher filled his ears and she wrapped an arm across his broad chest, embracing him similarly to the way he was holding her. In the few days Edward had been guiltily fantasizing about Bella and himself entwined in his bed, the scene had always been far less innocent but he was pleased with anything she was willing to give him.

A few seconds of silence passed with Bella resting her cheek over Edward's beating heart. He closed his eyes and reveled in the feel of her silken hair as he ran his fingers over loose curls.

"Esme is one of the nicest people I've ever met. It's easy to see how you've become such a gentlemen," she commented after some time, her voice soft in an attempt to preserve the intimate tenor they'd lapsed into.

Edward tried to keep his body relaxed beneath her. She didn't mean any harm in her observation, Esme was a good woman and a great mother but he liked to believe that the first seventeen years he'd spent with his real mom were the most influential to developing the man he'd become.

He thought instead of how kind Esme had been to Bella earlier, how she'd treated her as if she were her very own daughter.

He took Bella's tiny hand in his and held it tenderly, lacing his much larger fingers between hers. "She took quite a liking to you," he lowered his voice, "Did she remind you of your own mom?" he asked, concerned. Bella had been noticeably prone to homesickness and despite never actually birthing any children of her own, Esme was the quintessential maternal figure.

She surprised him by snorting loudly. "Yeah… my mom is _nothing_ like that," she laughed.

Edward's curiosity peaked. She'd told him a little about her mom her second day with him but hadn't said much about her family since without tearing up. Her laughter put him at ease and he decided to see if she'd open up with a little prompting.

"Right… you mentioned she wasn't overly domestic."

"She's not a bad mom," Bella stressed, pulling her head back to lay it on his shoulder and gaining a better view of his face, "She just doesn't play the traditional role well. Renee wanted to be my best friend. Being a disciplinarian and nurturer didn't appeal to her so she never bothered with it."

He couldn't tell if she thought that was a positive or negative approach to parenting. "Did you like that growing up?"

She shrugged against him, "It had its perks. I wasn't very social so it was nice to have someone to pal around with," she answered thoughtfully, "But, I don't know… When I see moms like Esme a part of me wishes I'd had someone to take care of me, you know?"

"I can take care of you," Edward breathed. The words were out before he could stop himself but even still he wasn't sure he would have.

Bella's eyes widened for just a moment, her blood pooling under the ivory skin of her cheeks before she reinstated her head on his chest to hide her face. She let out a delicate giggle. "I think I'm a little old to be read bed time stories."

"Nonsense," he scoffed, holding her tight, "You're never too old for a little coddling."

She seemed to agree because she sighed happily in his arms.

"I love my mom but that's not the kind of parent I want to be," she confessed softly, "I want him to be able to talk to me about anything but I also want him to see me as someone to lean on. It's really scary, Edward. I never thought of my self with a child. I'm not even very good with kids."

He listened to the fear that crept into her voice and could only imagine the position she was in. Everyone had always considered Edward Masen mature beyond his years but if he had become a parent at Bella age, or even in his mid twenties, he was sure he would have crumbled under the pressure of it. Even now the concept of fatherhood was daunting, something he had been sure until a few days ago, wasn't in the cards for him. The thought made him uneasy but Bella came with a child and he wanted her badly.

"You're going to be an incredible mother, baby," he whispered honestly. The tiny slip of a woman was brave and intelligent, he was positive she'd be able to do anything she set her heart on. "I don't know anything about kids either but I don't think anyone really knows how to be a parent until they are one."

He stroked lazily along her small back and braved pressing a kiss into her hair. Her heart was pounding against the side of his chest and he hoped it meant she was as affected by his presence as he was by hers.

"I've worked with all kinds of woman, from couples that have been trying IVF for years to get pregnant to single girls that skipped a couple of pills. It doesn't matter how prepared they think they are… They all have that same, terrified, look in their eyes when they get handed their child for the first time," he chuckled, remembering a first time father that knocked out cold just minutes _after_ the delivery.

"Yeah, I just… My mom and my dad got married at eighteen and I was born before either of them were twenty one. Sometimes I wonder if my mom lacked, eh, maturity in her parenting because she was so young when she had me," Bella hinted her fears into Edward's t-shirt.

"Baby, _that_ is ridiculous," he declared bluntly, his smooth voice unyielding. That wasn't an issue he was going to allow Bella to worry about needlessly, "I've known plenty of people much older than you that don't have a fraction of your sensibility.

I forget your age far too often, Isabella. And implore you to tell me if I ever cross a line that makes you uncomfortable because of that fact…" he added, guilted by how badly he wanted her, every part of her, when it was clear he shouldn't.

She acted so little like the extremely young woman she was but Bella's age had been a huge point of contention for him. He couldn't _not_ wonder how much of their relationship was made possible by the naivety of her youth. A more experienced woman would have innately questioned his motives or capitalized on his affections. Bella seemed content to just go with the flow, so to speak.

She looked up at him shyly, her plump bottom lip tugged gently between perfect white teeth, but didn't hold his gaze as she spoke, "I feel… really comfortable with you Edward," she whispered, "I'm a lot like my dad. Neither one of us are very good at opening up to people. I've only had a hand full of close friends in my life."

Edward felt a pang of sympathy at Bella's sad confession. He couldn't imagine the gorgeous girl being unpopular. If he had known her as a high schooler he would have done anything to get near her. Of course he did consider the majority of today's youth significantly less intelligent than they were ten year ago…

"But it's really easy with you. I've never…"

She trailed off but Edward wanted to know what she'd been about to say too badly to allow her to succumb to embarrassment. "Go on. You can tell me anything, sweetheart."

"I've just never felt like this with anyone before. I don't know what I'm doing… _I don't know what to do._"

He didn't like the way she uttered the last sentence. Like her feelings for him were a troublesome issue she needed to nip in the bud.

He tightened his hold on her small body like it would keep her from leaving him. "Don't do anything, Bella. Just stay with me. I can take care of you, _both of you, _if you'll let me," he promised into her hair, his heart pounding from fear of rejection.

"I feel it too, baby, you know I do. We don't have to force or rush anything. We have all the time in the world to figure this out if you _just stay_."

He sounded desperate, even to his own ears, so it surprised him when Bella giggled softly, her warm breath fanning out across his neck. "Honestly, Edward. Where would I go?"

The response didn't please him. "Anywhere you want… I'd buy you an apartment anywhere in the world if you asked me to, Bella Swan. I take care of the people that are important to me.

I need you to _want_ to stay."

"I do." She was suddenly staring him straight in the eyes, her normally timid voice holding more resolve and confidence than he'd thought her capable of. And he believed her.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Bella woke the next morning, incased in warmth. The heat that surrounded her was very much unlike the fever that had pledged her the previous day, this heat was warm and comforting and made her feel more secure and cherished than she ever deserved to be.

When her eyes fluttered open she found her self only inches from Edward's sleeping face, his features perfect as always, though far more relaxed. It didn't bother her that they'd fallen asleep in bed together, though it probably should have. He'd been nothing short of a gentlemen since the moment they'd met and even in his sleep he held her chastely, one arm stretched outward so that her head could rest peacefully on his bicep, his other hand splayed across her belly. She blushed wildly, even when there was no one around to see the scene aside from herself. She was positive it hadn't been there when she drifted off and wondered if he had placed it there before falling asleep or if it had simply drifted towards her stomach while he rested.

Never before had her stomach been such an intimate zone on her body and his hand there sent chills through her every pore. She closed her eyes to guiltily revel in his embrace. When she'd left home she was sure she was giving up the affection of a partner that would hold her while she slept, that she'd traded support during her pregnancy for reasons she had deemed more important. But Edward had found her and she wasn't sure she knew anything anymore. She was positive she didn't deserve someone like him, so perfect and kind, but when he looked at her the way he often did… It was hard not to take every part of him he was willing to offer her.

Self denial wasn't an option anymore, not when she'd be denying more than just herself. She had almost lost sight of how precious the life she had growing in her was and never again would she put her child's needs before her own. As much as she didn't feel she deserved Edward, and as little as his money appealed to her, she couldn't walk away from him if it meant giving up the brighter future he'd shaped for her little one. While she didn't find him attractive specifically because of his resources, they did make it so that she could in indulge in the feelings she was developing for him without fear that her and her baby would put a strain on his life.

Bella open and closed her dry mouth distastefully, wrinkling her nose at the taste. Being around someone as gorgeous as Edward was never great on her self esteem but having gone the previous day without a shower made the insecurity exponentially worse.

She reluctantly forced herself to slip out of his gentle hold, careful not to wake him. Not only did he need his rest after fusing over her constantly, she was pretty sure he'd freak out if she 'strained' herself by getting out of bed without his help.

It was still ridiculously early, she wondered what had caused her to wake up at such an hour. Normally, when she rose to make Edward breakfast she needed several alarms set on the clock beside her bed to get herself conscious. She had always been an early riser but the pregnancy made her unendingly tired.

She gently wriggled off the loafers Edward was still wearing, not having the heart to leave him uncomfortable, and pulled a blanket from the bottom of the bed to cover him. He made a disgruntled noise of sleepy annoyance but didn't wake.

With an affectionate giggle the young girl tiptoed across the chilled hardwood floor, eager to have a shower before Edward came looking for her.

It wasn't until she reached the landing that she was able to hear the persistent chime disturbing the still morning silence. She was less surprised that someone was visiting before 5 am than she was that Edward's home was so ridiculously large that you couldn't hear the doorbell from the master bedroom. Someone could practically take a step onto the creaky porch back home and they'd be able to hear it loud and clear from anywhere in Charlie's tiny two story.

Whoever was calling at the door was extremely persistent, hitting the button in rapid succession. She was sure a moment more of it would give her an awful headache so Bella ignored her extremely casual attire, her mused hair and sleep muddled mind and scurried for the foyer.

The bell continued to ring obnoxiously while she fumbled with the locks, she took a deep breath and reminded herself that it would be beyond rude to yell at one of Edward's guests.

"Hello?" she asked softly, swinging open the large wooden door.

The bell stopped abruptly. A beautiful blonde man with sparkling gray eyes gaped at her, bemused, his long fingers still poised at the buzzer. He was a good foot taller than her, but leaner and smaller framed than Edward. He looked to be in his late twenties and was wearing only a pair of dark jeans and a t-shirt. The cold air drifted in around her and Bella shivered just looking at his exposed, toned arms.

"If you hit that one more time I'm going to have to hurt you," she muttered dryly when the man continued to stare.

He dropped his hand, a mischievous glint sparkled across those odd gray eyes and for a moment Bella feared she had been too hasty, opening the door to this stranger. But as soon as the thought reached her head a dazzling smile spread lazily across his face. The tiny brunette choked back a gasp. He wasn't as handsome as Edward, but still unnervingly attractive.

"Ease up there, darlin'," he snickered with a deep southern accent, flashing a pearly white smile, "You're wearin' your skin like its too tight."

Bella felt a familiar heat in her face as the man gave her an assessing once over. She struggled to force herself into a more confident posture, wondering what good yelling for help would do if neither of them had heard the door bell from the bedroom.

"I- I'm sorry," she muttered meekly, "Can I help you?" she prompted like 4am was a perfectly reasonable time to knock at one's door.

"I'm sure you could, babydoll," the blonde's grin widened impossibly, "Jasper Whitlock. You must be the reason that lying son of a bitch called in sick," he sneered, his expression one of amusement instead of anger.

She smiled guiltily after his words registered, calming some. "You're Edward's co-worker…"

"And best friend, darlin'. The only man nice enough to pretend he's not a total square," he winked. Jasper took a step forward, inviting himself in. Bella thought he had more right to be there than she did and easily moved out of his way.

"Where is that lazy mother fucker," he asked, walking into the space like he knew it well. Bella noticed the McDonald's bag he had in his hand for the first time when he tossed it only the kitchen island. The greasy fast food had never appealed to her but smelt so good her stomach flipped happily. "I've been calling him all morning and I got nothing…"

"He's still asleep," she told him awkwardly, realizing that it had probably been the ring of Edward's cell phone that had woken her up.

Jasper leaned into the same bar stool Edward normally favored, shooting Bella an impressed leer. "You tire him out, gorgeous?"

"Excuse me?" Bella hissed, offended.

Jasper's cocky grin faltered. The small female was delicate in appearance but quiet a formidable creature when angered. He threw his hands up in a sign of submission. "Don't take anything I say seriously darlin'. I'm tired as hell. I was on call till ten last night, then the boss man pulls me aside and tells me that I have to fill in this morning because that ginger called in sick," he complained, "Ed never misses a shift so I figured his ass was really sick. I came by for a 'welfare check'…" he looked Bella up and down once more; loose sweatpants low on her hips, tight wife beater framing perky breasts, mused chestnut hair, "A let me tell you… It looks like he's doing _real_ well."

Bella blinked at him. She wanted to lay into him for his accusation but it was her fault he was up at 4am, about to face another 8 hour shift. She was also fairly sure that Edward's previous behavior had warranted Jasper's assumptions. She'd googled 'Edward Cullen' while he was at work and found a shocking amount of information, most including the terminology 'playboy'.

"I'm afraid he called in to take care of me, Dr. Whitlock. I seemed to have come down with a bug yesterday and he over reacted."

Just as she suspected, the handsome southerner frowned, confused as to why Edward would be concerned over the health of a one night stand. Interesting. She wondered if Edward had mentioned her. "I'm Bella, by the way."

Jasper suddenly looked… down right panicked. His eyes flashed down to her mostly flat abdomen as if he had managed to miss a swollen belly during the last five minutes he'd been shamefully staring.

"Oh, fuck," he muttered so low Bella was only able to read it on this lips. "Shit. I'm mean… shoot. It's nice to met you ma'am," he stammer, looking contrite.

Bella snorted, unable to resist an eye roll, having gone from a patronized 'darlin'' to 'ma'am' startlingly fast. She imagined that would be a pretty standard difference between people's response to her at face value and the way she was perceived at Edward's side. She wasn't sure it was a positive change.

"Right," she sighed, not one to hold a grudge, "Can I get you some coffee?" she started her way over to the impressively sleek and ridiculously expensive coffee maker but heard her guest scramble off his chair.

"No!" he shouted, far too loudly, before correcting his volume and tone, "I mean… you should sit down and relax. I can make it myself," the blonde fussed, trying to herd her towards the bistro table.

She stood her ground and pointed him back at his stool. "Sit," she ordered firmly, fed up.

She knew there was no such thing as 'a little bit pregnant' but if there was, she would be at that stage. She didn't need to be bothered over yet, she was perfectly capable. Bella hadn't been in the house long but since Edward took such little ownership or interest in the space, the kitchen had more or less become her domain.

Jasper Whitlock sulked back to his seat, thoroughly chastised. He rested his elbows on the cold marble and trailed the lovely brunette's movements through his best friend's neglected kitchen.

He had forgotten all about Edward's house guest, Cullen had been unusually distant and busy over the last week and Jasper was sure he was staring at the reason why. 'Bella' was out of control beautiful, and he'd been more than just a little excited to see a fox like her greet him at the door. Ed had never shown any possessiveness over his conquests. But when Jasper remembered the conversation Edward had sprung on him, about giving this girl the best care possible, he was sure Bella was _so_ off limits it wasn't even funny.

He was suddenly afraid of what his brazenness would cost him. Edward was one of the only friends he had in Washington and he didn't want to lose him, not over a woman. Even this little one, who was as cute as a…

"Hey, button?" he prompted softly, hoping she was as forgiving as she was pretty, "We don't have to tell Ed about that shit I said, right? That can just be our little joke?" He chuckled anxiously.

The girl put one tiny hand on her curvy little hip and narrowed two expressive brown eyes at him. He tried to melt her with a lady killing smile but if the dame was able to handle Edward's stubborn ass, he didn't have much of a shot.

She turned and pointed her head towards the bag of McMuffins, the breakfast of champions, he'd picked up on his way over.

"Depends, cowboy. Whacha' got in the bag?" her cute face splitting into a coy smirk.

He grinned…It always came down to the food for the pregnant ones. "Blackmail… That's my kind of gal."

This was going was going to be the start of a beautiful friendship.

_Fuck. Sorry that update took me so long. I got SLAMMED at school and this is such a filler chapter. I hate writing them. This is going to be a really easy going story but we will get some drama thrown in soon. _

_Let's see if we can't get our Edward a little jealous, shall we? _


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: All Twilight characters and core personality traits are the property of SM. I own nothing, nor do I plan on profiting from using her work. No copyright infringement is intended.

(End of last chapter)

_Jasper Whitlock sulked back to his seat, thoroughly chastised. He rested his elbows on the cold marble and trailed the lovely brunette's movements through his best friend's neglected kitchen._

_He had forgotten all about Edward's house guest, Cullen had been unusually distant and busy over the last week and Jasper was sure he was staring at the reason why. 'Bella' was out of control beautiful, and he'd been more than just a little excited to see a fox like her greet him at the door. Ed had never shown any possessiveness over his conquests. But when Jasper remembered the conversation Edward had sprung on him, about giving this girl the best care possible, he was sure Bella was so off limits it wasn't even funny._

_He was suddenly afraid of what his brazenness would cost him. Edward was one of the only friends he had in Washington and he didn't want to lose him, not over a woman. Even this little one, who was as cute as a…_

_"Hey, button?" he prompted softly, hoping she was as forgiving as she was pretty, "We don't have to tell Ed about that shit I said, right? That can just be our little joke?" He chuckled anxiously._

_The girl put one tiny hand on her curvy little hip and narrowed two expressive brown eyes at him. He tried to melt her with a lady killing smile but if the dame was able to handle Edward's stubborn ass, he didn't have much of a shot._

_She turned and pointed her head towards the bag of McMuffins, the breakfast of champions, he'd picked up on his way over._

_"Depends, cowboy. Whacha' got in the bag?" her cute face splitting into a coy smirk._

_He grinned…It always came down to the food for the pregnant ones. "Blackmail… That's my kind of gal."_

_This was going was going to be the start of a beautiful friendship._

Edward woke several minutes after Bella, long enough for the heat of her little body to dissipate and for him to realize that although he had fallen asleep with his body gently curled around an angel, he was now alone in the expansive bed.

Even so, it felt incredibly good to wake up on a day he'd normally rush off to work, calm and relaxed with no plans but to take care of and spend time with the woman that was steadily stealing his heart. He stretched his arms out leisurely as he glanced over at his clock. The young man hissed out his displeasure. It was only 5am. Bella was ill and shouldn't be out of bed so early.

As he fumbled out from under a thin blanket, clumsy with sleep, it occurred to him that Bella had probably woken early, parched with thirst. He mentally berated himself for sleeping so heavily when he had promised to take care of her. She was _his_ responsibility. His privilege.

He had just felt so incredibly peaceful with her by his side as they slept. When Bella had grown tired of talking and snuggled herself under his arm that night he was just barely able to contain the consuming feelings he had for her. With the stunning girl so vulnerable and trusting he could think of nothing but cherishing her with every thing he had in him.

For the first time since he had inherited his 'grandfather's' wealth he was happy to have so many resources at his disposal. Bella and her baby would want for nothing. He'd never had someone of his very own before, someone to protect and look after. Now that he had Bella Swan it seemed like he'd only feel whole and sane when the girl was tucked securely in his protective arms.

He _should _have patiently waited for her to fall into a deep sleep before slipping out and going to bed in the guest suite down the hall. That _would have been_ the respectable thing to do. Instead he stayed firmly planted to his spot, reveling in her tiny, warm breathes as they fanned out over his neck. He had gently stroked the pale skin of her little arm, hoping to provide comfort as she rested. He didn't understand why he cared so deeply for the beautiful woman. Edward felt like a different person since she'd entered his world.

He sighed, missing her presence. He didn't even bother finding a pair of slippers, just padded off across the cold hard wood in pursuit of his A.W.O.L. patient. The girl was going to have to learn how let someone take care of her.

When Edward started down his staircase and heard an unmistakably familiar voice mixed in with his girl's, he wished fervently that he was still in bed dreaming.

He turned the corner into his kitchen cautiously, hoping against hope to see someone, _anyone_, other than his snake of a best friend in the same room as his precious new companion.

No such luck.

He wasn't sure if he was more relieved or infuriated by the scene he walked in on. Knowing Jazz as well as he did, he knew that the Texan had a hard time passing up a pretty female, in fact, the dog seemed to be damn near incapable of it. So Edward feared he'd find a very uncomfortable brunette trying to fight off unwanted attention. Whitlock had a free spirited approach when it come to the fairer sex and even though Edward had never minded that particular outlook when the two were picking up company after a long shift, if Jasper had uttered one vulgar word to his delicate angel he was going to punch the fucker right in that cheesy southern smile.

Instead he found _his_ Bella giggling happily as Jasper animatedly told horror stories from Edward's first year as an intern. She looked completely at ease. Beautiful.

"So the Attending's barkin' out orders and Ed looks like he's about to strait piss himself. He runs to get the other senior physician and eats shit on the puddle of blood right under his feet! Like… seriously went down, ton of bricks style…" Jazz was bent over, talking through gawffas as he reminisced fondly on his best friend's misfortune. Edward could tell he was playing up his accent for added charm.

"But he's so scared of the doctor that he just scrabbles up and goes tearing through the hospital with fresh blood coverin' the whole front of him, drippin' down from his scrubs like some fucked up zombie movie. Patients were screamin', kids were cryin'. It was great!"

"Oh my!" Bella's eyes were wide as she struggled between the impulse to laugh or instinctively recoiling at the ghastly image Jasper had so vividly painted. ER humor didn't always translate well to normal people. "Was the patient okay?" she wondered, always concerned for others.

Jasper waved her off, "Yeah he was fine. Would have gotten patched up much quicker if Ed had remembered to use his pager though," he howled.

Edward growled, stepping into the kitchen while glaring daggers at his 'pal'. "How the fuck did you get in here?" he feigning playful, but was actually dead serious.

He loved Jazz but he didn't want him anywhere near Bella outside of a professional setting.

He convinced himself that he was afraid that the rowdy southerner would say something distasteful, but a small part of him knew that Jazz was a good looking guy who had won the attention of countless woman. He didn't want anyone like that around Bella. She was _his_. But he wasn't too secure in that fact yet.

The lovely female smiled at him with guilty, huge brown eyes that melted his mood like an ice cube on a summer sidewalk. She held up a half eaten breakfast sandwich from Jasper's eatery of choice, McDonald's.

"I let him in," she confessed shyly.

Edward beamed at her. He couldn't help it. The small woman was magnificent standing comfortably in his home. Even with her hair a mess of curls and her little bare feet on his slate floors she was a sight to behold. "Don't blame yourself, darling. He never should have made it to the door. We need to get a dog. A big, mean dog."

Bella shrugged, "He had food…"

Jasper chuckled smugly, "See Eddie boy? I know the way to a woman's heart after all."

"I'm not sure 'the heart' is the part of female anatomy you want access to, Jazz," Edward muttered dryly.

The red head strode straight for Bella. If she was going to tolerate Jasper's presence, he was going to make it very clear to his best friend that she wasn't available.

Edward wrapped his arms around her narrow waist and bent to pressed an endearing kiss onto her temple. She leaned into him easily but her eyes were as big as saucers, shocked by the open affection Edward had never shown before. He didn't notice her surprise because his own green eyes were fixing Whitlock with a pointed gaze.

"You should have woken me if you were hungry, sweetheart, I would have gotten you something healthier than fast food. That stuffs not good for the baby," he said loudly enough to carry to all of the room's occupants, splaying his large hand out over the harness of her abdomen to give her a gentle rub_. Pregnant, Whitlock, remember?_

Bella's voice was unsteady and breathy with the handsome man's proximity. "_Edward_, you told me, and I quote, 'Babies love pizza' like… three days ago," she giggled against his chest. His ears tinted pink at being called out.

Jasper shrugged, leaning back in his stool, _Edward's favorite stool. _"The man speaks the truth, Button. It's a scientific fact," he backed up his friend faithfully. "Everyone loves pizza."

Bella took another nibble of the McMuffin with a soft moan that made Edward regret the placement of his groin against her beautiful round hip.

"So good," she groaned with her hand in front of her mouth as she chewed, only partially keeping up a lady like facade. "Ever had one?" she questioned Edward.

He tried not to roll his eyes. Of course he had. Him and Jazz would put away half a dozen of the little breakfast sandwiches each when they were residents. He'd only stopped eating them when Alice had commented on having to buy him larger pant sizes. It took him a while to mange a balance between working out, unhealthy food, and long hours. He opened his mouth and gave Bella a pleading look. She laughed sweetly as she lifted her meal to his mouth to share a bite.

"Takin' food from an expectin' mother? Poor form, Cullen," Jasper tisked disapprovingly, his smirk displaying clear amusement as he watched his friend stake his claim.

"Why are you here?" Edward snapped into Bella's mussed hair, glaring at the blonde over her modest height.

He grinned innocently when she smacked his chest in punishment for his unflattering behavior. "Be nice," she whispered, her voice firm but indulgent. He thought fleetingly that she'd spent too much time with Esme the previous day.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I didn't mean to upset you," he crooned soothingly, on his best behavior in front of his perceived rival.

Jasper snorted loudly, rolling his gray eyes as his usually apathetic friend fussed over the pretty little thing like a sex deprived school boy.

Bella's ivory checks blushed a deep pink under Edward's attention but she showed no signed of discomfort, even rested her tiny had over his where it was still placed on her only slightly rounded belly.

"I'm fine," she reassured him softly. Isabella looked almost dazed by Edward efforts and she blinked up at him for several seconds before she was able to recover her train of thought.

She could feel Edward's tension radiating off him as her held her close and was eager to escape it. She turned to Jasper with an impish smile, flushed. "It was nice to meet you, cowboy. I'll let you two visit, I really need a shower."

The blonde gave her a sexy smile and an incline of his head. "The pleasure was all mine , button. I'll be seein' you around real soon."

Edward's eyes narrowed with menace but he easily allowed Bella to slip out if his arms.

"Get washed up and right back in bed, baby. If you push yourself too hard too fast you'll just get sick again," he warned her imploringly. Bella gave him a small nod and a bashful peck on the cheek.

Both men watched her as she flitted through the back French doors and made her way through the garden.

"I thought you said that nursling' wasn't yours!" Jasper hissed out the accusation as he watched Bella's sweet little figure disappear. He was clearly upset that his most trusted friend had kept something so important from him.

Edward regarded him coolly, his mood souring now that the girl wasn't around to curve it. "The _baby_ isn't mine, but Bella is," he snapped back.

Jasper arched a honey colored brow, "Oh really? Because she looked pretty fuckin' surprised when you pissed on her just right now."

"She's not one of your little whores, Whitlock. Just because you can't settle with a proper woman doesn't mean I can't," Edward's neck flushed pink with irritation. He was lashing out without reason and he could see it immediately in the wounded look on Jasper's face.

"_Hey_," Jazz drawled in a tone one would use to reason with someone that was acting irrationally. "Don't put words in my mouth, I think Bella's a doll."

"I'm sure you do," Edward snorted pointedly.

Things clinked into place for Jasper, "You're jealous," he stated not questioned. Edward gave another sarcastic scoff but diverted his gaze without denying anything. "Dude, have you forgotten who your talkin' to? When the fuck have I ever given you the impression that you couldn't trust me?" he asked, hurt.

"Everything's a joke to you, Jazz. Bella, she's important," Edward sighed, cooling. "I came down stairs to check on her and found you two laughing. I didn't like it," he said honestly.

Jasper frowned, "She's a pretty girl but she could be Megan Fox and she wouldn't be worth our friendship," he admitted awkwardly, running his fingers through messy blonde hair, a habit acquired as a testament to the amount of time the two men had spent together.

"Megan Fox has nothing on my Bella," the redhead argued with the first pleasant smile towards his good friend he had managed since walking in on him and Bella. "But you're right. I don't know why I'm acting like this. Even seeing her _talking_ to another guy makes me crazy…" he groaned, frustrated.

"Dude… You've got it so bad."

"Yeah, no shit."

"Well, I like her," Jasper declared like his opinion was the be all end all. He sat back in his stolen stool and crossed his arms lazily.

Edward laughed, "Everyone likes her. She's perfect. I think my mom's in love." He ignored the negative reaction she had garnered from his father. It didn't count as far as he was concerned, Carlisle hadn't given her a chance.

"She got to meet your family?" Jasper whined, "I've known you since we were twenty two and I've only met Emmett. Hardly seems fair."

"I've spent the last eight years keeping your horny ass away from my baby sister. You not meeting my family is entirely intentional," Edward only half joked.

The Texan play boy grinned, not bothering to deny that he was best kept away from attractive female family members. Jasper sipped his coffee and Edward poured himself a mug before glancing at the large decorative but functional clock hung across an expanse of kitchen wall.

"Aren't you supposed to be covering my shift right about now?" he asked.

Jasper glowered unhappily, "Yeah, about that. You know if I came over here and found you any thing less than maimed and bleeding it means swift retaliation right?" he warned as though he was saddened it had come to that but everyone that had ever met him knew that Dr. Whitlock lived for tricks and practical jokes. Being his best friend didn't win one any reprieve from his madness.

"Bella was ill," Edward defended, aware that it was futile.

Jasper looked at him doubtfully, "And you stayed home to play 'Doctor', yeah I get it, but I ain't going to wake at the brink of dawn so that you and Button can roll around in bed all day," he chuckled.

Edward _wished_ his time off was meant to be spent in bed, making love to Bella but that didn't seem likely.

"Why do you keep calling her that?" he questioned instead of admitting he was smitten with a girl he had yet to be intimate with.

Jasper stalled, looking suddenly uncomfortable. "Calling her what?"

"Button…"

The easy going ladies man actually blushed under Edward's appraising stare. "Well you know… 'cause she's cute as a-"

"Jesus Christ," Edward groaned, his head thrown back. He pointed towards the front of his home, "Get out of my house and away from my girl," he ordered, green eyes sparkling with amusement, contradicting his serious tone.

Jasper got up to leave, already running late, "Alright… but this isn't over," he promised as he grabbed a sausage and cheese sandwich for the road.

"I'll sleep with one eye open," Edward muttered wryly before setting off in pursuit of Bella.

o0o0o0o

Edward found Bella exactly where he'd hoped to, tucked into her bed in the guest house. Her long hair was dark and damp from her shower and her beautiful skin held a healthy pink hue from the hot water. She smiled radiantly when he slipped into the room.

"You look so much better, sweetheart," he noted with relief. "I was so worried about you."

She patted the comforter next to her and he tried not to look as eager as he felt in accepting the invitation. Edward settled into the warmth and contented them both by pulling her little body flush against his.

"Well you took such good care of me," she credited shyly. A small yawn escaped her prefect pink lips. "Can't we just stay in bed all day?" she pouted in an effort to persuade. She needn't bother, Edward was willing to spend the rest of his life in bed with her.

"Oh I see, you get your belly nice and full and its right back to bed," he teased, gently tickling her sides before settling his palm on her abdomen.

He was getting brave enough to touch her there. He couldn't count the number of times he'd seen boyfriends and husbands with their hands practically glued to his patients' swollen middles, and though he thought he could understand the sentiment, he was just starting to realize how mind-blowing it was to have a partner who was nurturing a new little life inside her. He felt unendingly protective of both of them. It didn't matter that he shared no blood with the child, as his mother pointed out. That hadn't been necessary for Carlisle to love him like his very own and it wouldn't stop Edward from caring deeply for Bella's little one.

He decided to be cautiously optimistic that Bella would allow him to be a part of their lives. They had only known each other for a short time but the pull was so strong. There was no way she wasn't bound by it too.

She assured him by lacing her small fingered through his, joining them intimately over her growing child.

"I'll tell you what, we can stay in bed all day as long as I get to say in _this_ bed with you," he negotiated with a kiss to her neck.

"Just try and leave," she challenged with a giggle.

Edward smiled fondly, "That would be most counter productive on my part." He stroked the long tendrils of damp hair away from her angelic face with the tip of his nose, "You shouldn't go to sleep with your hair wet," he fretted.

Bella rolled his favorite pair of brown eyes, "I'm fine, Doctor. Its plenty warm in here."

He didn't argue, he wanted to take care of her but he was afraid of smothering her too. He'd pick and choose his battles.

Bella was quiet for a while then and he began to think that she'd drifted off, it was still extremely early and her body was working its very hardest. He was surprised when her soft voice broke the silence.

"I'm sorry I invited him in," she said sheepishly, "I should have woken you. I just thought you two were friends."

He instantly felt terrible. Bella was extremely intelligent and perceptive, of course she would have noticed how displeased he was to see Jazz in his kitchen.

"We are friends, darling. You didn't do anything wrong. He knows I never lock the kitchen door, he would have come in through the back regardless."

Her eyebrows knitted, "You didn't look very pleased to see him…"

Edward was conflicted. He didn't want her to think that he routinely mistreated those close to him but he wasn't sure he was willing to admit that he had reacted to his best friend encroaching on his mate like a rabid dog either.

"Jasper could be a bit brass around attractive women," he explained carefully, "I didn't like that he'd been around you without me as a buffer."

Her expression contorted with a touch of indignance, "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, Edward."

He backpedaled, but only just, "I know you are," he kissed her lips tenderly, relaxing the set of them, "But I don't want you to ever have to. Not when I'm around, Bella."

o0o0o0o

Edward walked into work with a heavy heart and two brown paper bags full of Bella's lovingly prepared lunches, one labeled for him and one addressed clearly to 'Dr. Whitlock', much to his chagrin. Though he still wasn't entirely sure he was going to hand it over to its intended recipient, Bella had been eager to repay Jasper for his generous breakfast.

Two days with Bella had been unbelievable and it took every ounce of resolve he had to leave her side when it was finally time to resume his shift at the hospital. He had responsibilities, responsibilities he'd been working his whole adult life to fulfill, but the further he got from Bella the more he felt like he was leaving his most important one behind.

He had never had so much fun doing nothing at all. The couple spent their free time lounging lazily around their home, however he hadn't been entirely unproductive. He managed to convince Bella to move her things into the main house. He'd gotten himself to the point that just having her across the lawn seemed unbearable. This new development was both a blessing and a curse, a blessing in that the object of his affections now slept just down the hall, and a curse… for the exact same reason. He _really_ wanted her in his bed but it had been much easier to initiate that when she'd been half delirious with fever.

While he was content to take the courtship slow he found it impossible not to sneak kisses and exchange touches but Bella didn't to mind at all, returning his attention shyly. In the past Edward had fallen into bed with women just hours after meeting them and though he seemed to have fallen in love with the brown eyed girl in the bright red coat just as quickly, he knew the progression of their physical relationship wouldn't be as swift. He also knew it would be well worth the wait. He yearned for Bella in ways no other women had come close.

The doctor had been so spoiled by Bella's presence that he had forgotten all about his skilled best friend's promise of retaliation.

He approached the nurse's satiation with a warily smile, he never enjoyed the attention he received from the young, and some not-so-young, women but had become used to it after years as a single doctor. He found that a shocking number of young girls went into the field specifically to land a successful husband and had more than bared the brunt of such efforts.

Needless to say he was surprised, pleasantly so, when he wasn't greeted with the usual rain of excessive talking and casual invasion of personal space. In fact, the few nurses working the front positively glowered at him when he walked up.

"Good morning, ladies," he offered politely, studying the group like they were all in on an elaborate ruse.

"Morning, Dr. Cullen," they muttered back, eyes averted, though some looked noticeably forlorn.

The new nurse, who's name he couldn't recall, looked up at him, bored. "Dr. Volturi wanted to see you when you got in," she informed him professionally.

Edward nodded and thanked her, baffled as to what had gotten into them. He wondered if having Bella in his life had just made every facet of his existence more enjoyable before dismissing the though as unlikely. She was incredible but not a miracle worker.

He wasn't sure but he though he heard someone sigh, "Such a shame," when he turned his back.

Dr. Cullen sulked his way to Aro's office. He hoped he wasn't going to get grief for his days off. Being away from his girl was making him edgy enough; he wasn't in the mood to be nagged at.

He couldn't keep his mind off her. Did she go back to bed after making them breakfast? Did he remember to turn on the heat so that she was nice and warm? Did she miss him?

He passed his fellow physician coming out of the elevator. Edward was used to things being strained between them after a heavily drunken fuck at a staff holiday party but was unprepared for the openly malicious snarl he received from Irina the moment she laid eyes on him. He walked by the hostile woman quickly. Was there something in the water?

He was almost to his destination when Aro himself came bustling down the hall. The dark haired, older department head with a silly, stringy ponytail smiled creepily. Edward didn't dislike the man, per se, but he didn't have very much respect for his passive aggressive, brown-nosing disposition either. He kissed Edward's ass and rode everyone else like a slave driver.

This morning was no exception.

"Edward! My boy, just the face I was looking for."

He didn't roll his eyes, but he wanted to. "Like wise, Aro. I was actually just heading to your office."

Aro patted his shoulder and stirred them both towards the on call room, "Come with me to grab a cup of coffee," he insisted, giving Edward little choice in the matter.

"So, Edward, did you enjoy your time off?" his boss asked after pouring himself a mug of the mediocre brew. He angled his body to study the young man's face carefully but Edward was unshakable, gazing back at Aro impassively.

"It was much needed," he offered as a simple reply.

Aro looked disappointed, "Edward, my boy," he lowered his voice unnecessarily, the two were alone, "We've worked together for many years. I remember when you came in as an awkward intern," he chortled, giving the other man an unwelcomed, friendly punch. The red head's eyes narrowed. "I would consider us friends, wouldn't you?"

Not even a little bit. "Of course, Aro," he lied through his teeth. The department head knew that Edward's money and legendary father would skyrocket his career as soon as he had gained some years and experience. Though the latter-climbing snake had made sure to build a bridge with Edward, he'd never consider him a friend.

Aro's car salesmen smile widened, "See! Then you shouldn't feel like you have to hide anything from me, my boy. I'm your supervisor, but I'm also your friend." He waited expectantly.

Edward just blinked at him, confusion growing.

He sighed and leaned into Edward's personal space, his voice conspiratorial, "Dr. Whitlock told me why you actually called out," he informed, looking smug.

On perfect queue Jasper's toe head popped into the doorframe directly behind Aro's back, a delighted, vengefully smile on his face. Edward just barely spared him a glance, not giving away his presence but he didn't miss the southerner mouth 'I told you', before diverting his gaze.

"Oh?" Edward asked cautiously, arching a brow. He should have known Jasper's pay back would be… colorful.

Aro nodded, pleased to be in on the 'secret', "I can understand why you'd want to keep things discreet but you should be celebrating this. Expecting your first is an exciting time!"

Edward didn't catch on right away. "First…"

"Child, Edward. Whitlock told me that you and your girlfriend found out you were expecting a child," he pressed, thinking Edward was still playing coy. "Honestly, we didn't even know you'd been seeing someone. I know there were a few hearts breaking in the female staff," he chortled jovially.

"Ah..." Edward threw Jasper a quick glare. The blonde was buckled over, laughing silently. The reception he received that morning suddenly made a lot more sense. His closest friend told everyone he had gotten his girlfriend pregnant. He could have denied the rumor but he didn't see the point. If things worked out between him and Bella that would be the easiest explanation.

"Well you understand my family is very private. I apologize for being dishonest," he covered.

Aro waved him off, ever the sympathetic employer when it can to his cash cow, "Nothing to apologize for. My department knows better than most that you'll need time off to be with…"

"Bella," Edward smiled reflexively just saying her name.

"With Bella," Aro continued. "How far along is she?"

"We're about three months in," he beamed.

He didn't have nearly as hard of a time playing the proud expectant father as one might have guessed. When he allowed his mind to wonder to the beautiful woman waiting at home for him with a baby in her belly he found it incredibly easy to take accountability for them.

"And I suppose your father will be overseeing her care," Aro wondered. He often brought the conversation around to Carlisle Cullen, lusting after Edward's esteemed father's connections.

Edward had considered it, his father was the best of the best, but Bella was a healthy girl and unless they discovered complications with her pregnancy he didn't think the extensive care Carlisle specialized in was necessary. At that moment Edward didn't want his judgmental father anywhere never his Bella.

"Actually, Jasper said he'd take her on as a patient," he admitted, second guessing that choice a little more with ever passing minute, "I'm bringing her in next week."

Aro's eyes widened in a very thinly veiled horror, "_Whitlock_? But, eh, Irina's such a reputable obstetrician, I know she'd be delighted to help you with your child," he stammered, obviously uneasy with giving such a high profile pregnancy to a doctor he constantly voiced his dislike for. "That boy's not… our best nor brightest."

Edward heard an offended scoff come from the hall and tried to stifle his grin.

"I'm very much aware of that, Sir," Edward muttered dryly, more to the eavesdropper than Aro, "But I'd trust him with my life so I can trust him with my family."

Aro gave a hesitant nod and abandoned his coffee on a nearby table to pull an envelope out of the pocket of his lap coat. He handed it to Edward like it was a drug deal.

"Here you go, my boy, just a little congratulations from Sulpicia and myself. Take your lady out and have a good time. Don't think twice about asking for some time off if you need it. Spending flowers home when you work through dinner only goes over well a handful of times," he laughed boisterously at his own joke. "We can always have Whitlock cover you."

Edward actually laughed when he Jasper curse loudly from his hiding place. Aro excused himself and the dejected prankster slipped into the employee lounge.

"Well mother fucker. That didn't exactly go the way I saw in my head," Jazz slumped into a worn chair.

"_Hey_, you scored me and Bella a dinner out and signed yourself up to cover my sifts so I can stay home with her in _my_ baby," Edward threw the gift certificate from Aro and his wife onto the table for Jazz's inspection, a pleased grin lighting up his face, "I thought it went great."

"I thought you'd deny it," Jasper grumbled, "Old bastard already hates me, not like lying to him could make shit any worse."

"Yeah well the nurses all want me dead me now so you did something right," Edward reassured him. He grudgingly tossed the bag Bella had assembled for Jasper in the sulking doctor's lap. "Here."

Jasper looked at the brown paper sack like it might bit him. "What fuck is this?"

"Bella makes me lunch every morning. She packed one for you too," he told him sheepishly.

Jasper started rutting through the bag with gusto, letting out satisfied groans as he exposed each new item. "Man, that chicks fuckin' cute. She wrote a little 'thank you' note on my napkin," he held up the white paper, delighted.

Edward's good mood dropped a peg. Bella didn't write sweet messages on his napkins. "Yeah, well she put extra cookies in mine."

He knew because he'd already compared the two bags in the car.

"Aren't you scared?" Jasper looked up at him after a few minutes of silence.

The question was vague but the way his gray eyes were studying him with concern gave away the intent. Jasper had been with Edward his entire adult life, had seen him reject any and all connections with perfectly respectable woman. Jazz had known a man that valued his private life and space to the point of isolating himself from beloved family members.

Now that same man had claimed responsibility for and gave his heart to a perfect girl he hardly knew. In six months there'd be a baby to love as well. It was daunting.

Edward did his best to answer with honesty.

"No," he shook his head slowly, "It was harder to live my life thinking that there wasn't anyone out there for me than it is accepting things now that I've found her."

**Yeah… I know. But school finally let out for winter. I guarantee an update in 8-10 days. Those of you that read 'my mate' know that I always keep my promises when I set specific dates. **

**Reviews are awesome guys. They are the reason I write. So thank you all. **

**I need a beta. So forgive my typos. If you are interested please message me. **


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: All Twilight characters and core personality traits are the property of SM. I own nothing, nor do I plan on profiting from using her work. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Nise7465**** has mercifully agreed to beta for Thicker than Blood and has truly been a joy to work with. Its because of her you guys will be able to enjoy this chapter without wadding through 14 pages of typos I make when I write at 3 in the morning so she's clearly the woman of the hour. **

**If you aren't already reading her story 'Impact' you need to get on it. It's a far better read than this one. lol **

Bella looked up at him with the full force of her breathtaking big brown eyes, her long lashes batting girlishly. She nuzzled her tiny nose into his chest as the couple sat in the living room, enjoying a movie after dinner.

Edward regarded her with suspicion; he'd had that darling kitten pout used against him years before he'd ever met this particular set of eyes. The intelligent man had a feeling that Bella's masterful gaze of manipulation had come from the few days she'd spent 'working' with his sister.

"Can I help you, Miss Swan?" he questioned the girl in his lap sternly, though his soft green eyes gave away his amusement and devotion.

Her mask of pure innocence didn't melt one bit. He was very impressed, even Alice got that mischievous shifty eye when she was called out.

"My feet hurt," she hinted sweetly, wiggling her naked toes for emphases.

One side of Edward's tightly clasped lips curled into a crooked smile. He grabbed one of her pretty feet and pulled playfully on its littlest toe. "I see," he narrowed his eyes as she giggled, "And I suppose you'd like me to rub them for you."

Bella beamed at him, pleased that he had caught on so quickly.

He looked at her with false incredulity. Of course he'd massage her little feet. She'd been on them all day with Alice, doing god only knows what, and he never passed up an opportunity to please her, let alone touch her. That didn't mean he wasn't going to give her a bit of a tease about it.

"You know, little one, I've been at work all week too. I think I'm the one that deserves a foot massage," he reasoned.

Bella's eyes grew impossibly bigger and more hypnotizing, "But Alice made me try on a thousand pairs of shoes today," she complained.

"I delivered a set of twins by cesarean section," he challenged.

His beautiful girl glared, the wheels in her head turning to think of something to top him. "I spent the day growing a child in my womb," she pointed out, crossing her arms like she'd stated the argument to end all arguments.

Edward laughed as he picked her up off of his lap and tossed her gently onto the cushion next to him.

"You win, darling. As always," he patted his thighs so that Bella could enthusiastically claim her prize.

Her little moans were torture as he worked his thumbs over her heel. "I should have a word with my sister. She gave you the tools to control me but she failed to make sure you'd use the knowledge for good instead of evil."

Bella sighed peacefully. She spread out across the couch and closed her eyes while she enjoyed his ministrations. "She said if I looked at you like that I could get anything I wanted."

Edward was reminded once again of why this girl was so special. All of the things he could provide her with and all she'd asked for was some care and attention. It thrilled him every time he saw how genuine and beautiful she was inside.

"So Alice made you go shoe shopping?" he questioned, mainly to quench his constant need to hear her voice, the yearning he had to know every detail about the time she spent away from him. He tried to pull her toes and get them to pop but narrowly missed a kick to the groin.

Bella nodded without looking up, "She wanted to put me in these crazy heels," she snorted, holding up her fingers to exaggerate an impossibly tall spike, "But she saw me stumbling around in them like a new born foal and changed her mind. Told me she'd teach me how to walk in them after the baby comes so I don't hurt us."

Edward bristled at the thought of Bella falling and injuring herself for something so petty. "You don't ever need to wear those things, darling. Woman strap themselves into them to make their legs look longer and yours are already flawless," he ran his hand up her smooth calf to prove his point.

Bella's whole face flooded red and he dropped his hands to stop the stirring in his groin. He wanted to touch every part of her but didn't have the heart to add sexual intimacy to the list of things that complicated their relationship. He'd know when she was ready for him to claim her in that way.

"Thank you," she whispered meekly, shy by nature.

He didn't say anything. She shouldn't need to thank him for telling her how gorgeous she was.

"Are you excited?" he asked her tenderly. The question was a change of topic but Bella knew what he was referring to when he pressed his large hand over her belly.

He'd scheduled her an appointment with Jasper the following day for her first-second trimester checkup and had spent the entire week dropping hints about having her come in during his break. He wanted so badly to earn an invitation into the room during her sonogram but so far she hadn't taken the bait.

He hated thinking of her going it alone. There always seemed to be something special about experiencing that with a partner and he really hoped that Bella had begun to see him as such. To be able to hold her hand as she looked at her child would be incredible. He'd die if Jazz got to be there and he was locked outside the door. Not to mention that everyone would find it odd if his pregnant girlfriend denied him access to the occasion as he'd yet to deny that the child was his.

The week had been filled with congratulations from his nosey co-workers and continued snubbing from the nurses. He couldn't get the lazy twits to do anything for him anymore. Though in contrast, they had doubled their efforts to get their hooks into Jasper and bent over backwards to be at _his_ beck and call.

She smiled so sweetly it made his chest ache, "I am. I can't wait to see him again."

Edward had explained a few times that they wouldn't be able to find out the baby's gender until her next appointment in a month or so but she was unrelenting with her insistence that she was carrying a boy. Edward, though equally unfounded, felt other wise. He very clearly could see a happy baby girl bouncing on her hip, giggling with her mother's smile and an ivory face surrounded by Bella's mahogany curls.

In his mind the child was a miniature copy of the woman he adored and held no features to be attributed to her mystery father. A large part of Edward was keeping him from asking about the man in question. The less he knew about the person who sired the child he desperately wished was his own, the easier it was for him to pretend he didn't exist at all. Bella and the baby were wrapped in _his_ arms, safe in _his_ home, and that man had no claim to them anymore.

It was what he kept telling himself, and for the moment, he was content to believe it.

Edward continued rubbing up and down her hardened tummy, slipping his fingers underneath her thin t-shirt when the material road up pale skin.

"Nervous at all?" he tried to gauge her feelings. Last time she'd been in for medical treatment related to her pregnancy she had been tearfully considering its termination. A few short weeks later she was going into make sure her child was developing strong and safe. It had to be a lot to take in.

Bella leaned up on her elbows so she could see his face. She nodded thoughtfully.

"A little," she whispered in a tone that made it sound like a confession, "It's awfully vain to think that people care enough to judge me but when you're pregnant… at my age, doing anything baby related comes with a small dose of embarrassment."

Edward stiffened. He hated that. The thought that Bella couldn't be proud in her pregnancy because of the stigma that accompanied her age bothered him deeply. Years from now, when she was older and in a secure place with her treasured child, he never wanted her to think back and wish she'd gotten to enjoy her first pregnancy like other women.

Bella laughed sadly at the bitter expression that rippled across his handsome features. "Oh, come on. Don't tell me that you wouldn't look at a pregnant girl my age, unmarried, and think… 'What a shame.'" she blushed. "I know I probably would."

He scoffed. About a hundred inappropriate thoughts filled his mind every time he laid eyes on the flawless creature but that definitely wasn't the direction they took.

He pulled her legs and she squealed until she was back in his lap, wrapped in his arms where she belonged.

"Can I be honest?"

Bella nodded, cautious but curious.

"When I look at you I see a stunning woman who's going to be a wonderful mother and if anyone says otherwise it'll be out of jealousy," he told her softly, his lips against temple.

She pulled back and gave him a goofy, red-faced grin. "I think you might be biased."

He cocked his head back and forth, pretending to consider it objectively. "You're probably right. I'm absolutely crazy about both of you."

"Both of us?" she breathed, wide-eyed.

He prayed that he wasn't crossing a line, pushing her too hard, too fast. "You and the baby…"

She searched his face hard for any kind of falsehood. She wanted to believe him so badly. "Really, Edward? You don't mind?"

He saw the hope gleaming in her eyes and he couldn't hold back.

"Of course, sweetheart. My parents don't have any grandchildren yet and my mother's dying to get her hands on a baby. I don't know much about children but we can learn together. We can turn a guest bedroom into a nursery… There's not one facet of my life that wouldn't benefit from having you _and _the baby in it."

He felt like he was trying to put in a winning bid but he'd do anything to keep the woman he'd met less that a month ago. He could recall being little, and all the men that had fawned over his mother… until they saw him. He was always the deal breaker. It didn't matter if they were rich or handsome, if they couldn't accept him then Elizabeth wouldn't give them the time of day. In the end no one had really been willing to walk into a ready-made family and the only father he'd ever known had been Carlisle, seventeen years later.

Edward had been around countless new mothers and if he knew anything for certain, it was that Bella would choose her child over him without a breath's hesitation. He wasn't going to force her to do so. He wanted it all.

Bella was dizzy from the promises he was willing to make. It scared her that she was so ready to believe him. She hadn't told him anything about her life before she'd come to him and by his own admission he'd never held a real relationship.

"Do you even know what you're saying? You told me you don't have girlfriends," she pointed out frightfully.

He kissed her lips, soft and sweet, and held her little body against his like he'd never let her go. He could feel her tension and fear leave her as each individual muscle relaxed against his hold. Instead of the kiss leaving them breathless and heated as all past ones had, he pulled away leaving both parties content and reassured.

"How would I have? I hadn't met you yet," he smiled.

Bella beamed. She ran her small fingers through his copper hair, the other hand tapping the top of his nose, "That's a pretty cheesy line, Cullen."

"I'll only regret it if it didn't work, _baby_."

"Edward, are you trying to ask me to go steady?" she teased coyly. Her tone was fun and playful, like the very young woman she was, and even though the topic was serious, life changing even, Edward was content to keep it light. She was so fragile.

He was a thirty-year-old man. He didn't care how much he cared for the girl, the words 'will you be my girlfriend', or any variation, weren't ever going to come out of him mouth. He'd left high school behind a decade ago.

He gave her a cocky grin, "Well you're shacking up with me and I already have you pregnant, I should probably make an honest woman out of you…"

"There's a lot we haven't discussed." A warning from Bella.

"It doesn't matter. There's not a thing in the world that could change my feelings for you." As he said the words he was pretty sure they were true. "We don't have to get into that now," he leaned in again to press his lips to hers, imploring her to let it go.

As his hands roamed reverently over her rounding hips she didn't seem eager to press that conversation either. She moaned, just a little, against his lips.

"Tomorrow, when I go in to see the baby, am I allowed to bring someone with me?" she asked suddenly.

His heart started racing, hopeful in anticipating the direction of the conversation. He glided his hand back onto her belly as if to reaffirm his need for involvement.

"Of course. Most patients want someone to be there with them. Did you have anyone in mind?" He still wasn't as good at playing it cool when it came to Bella as he was in most areas of his life and his smooth voice fluctuated oddly, giving away his nervousness.

Bella tugged in the ends of his sleeves, pretending to not pay much attention, but her ever-expressive eyes sparkled with mirth.

"Oh I don't know… I was thinking about asking Alice..."

Bella squealed when she found her herself pinned to the couch in the next breath, Edward's lean body crouching over her like a possessive jungle cat. Her giggles were only interrupted by the gasp that escaped her when his teeth scraped gently across her throat.

"Wrong Cullen, Isabella."

"Esme? Do you think she's free?"

"One last chance…" he bent one elbow to hold him up, careful not to give her petite body any of his weight, and poised his fingers at her fleshy sides in perfect tickling formation.

Bella's eyes widened in fear. "I'm sorry! I want you to come with me! You!"

They both laughed as Edward patted her behind with the threatening hand and rolled into the space next to her. Bella assumed her favorite position in the crook of his arm.

"You kept me waiting all week for that question," he accused, lighthearted with glee.

"I was afraid I'd be asking too much. You've already done so much for me, for us."

He pulled her in tight, "It hasn't been without its rewards, darling. You haven't a clue what it feels like to be able to come home to you."

"Well then I should probably confess that Alice taught me 'the look' so that I'd have the courage to ask _you_ to go with me."

Edward chuckled, "So the foot massage was a ploy."

"Had to make sure it worked," she nodded definitively.

"And it did."

"I guess a little bit… If you call that three minutes of rubbing a massage," Bella simpered, raising a challenging brow.

"Demanding little thing, you are," Edward sighed dramatically and sat up to pull her feet back into his lap for more attention, "Well I better make this right. We're going into my work place tomorrow and I won't allow rumors that I leave my girl unsatisfied."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Bella walked into the generic waiting room with her head held high and her heart pounding furiously in what felt like her throat. She was excited and terrified but above all else, she was just insanely happy Edward was going to do this with her.

She had been alone when she'd gone in the last time. It was the first and only look she had gotten at the child growing inside her, and it was almost painful to internalize the feelings she experienced upon seeing something so monumental.

Bella pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head and tucked the keys to the Audi, which she had taken at Edward's insistence, into her new black 'hobo' bag. It was an insanely large purse that Alice had purchased for her no matter how many times she denied having enough possessions to fill it with. In fact, everything she wore had been picked out and paid for by her new employer, a pair of dark straight legged jeans tucked into black boots and a flowing shirt whose price tag made her wince.

Alice had told her that the outfit was 'casual elegance' and though that wasn't normally a priority of hers, she desperately wanted to look nice today. She didn't know if Edward had told anyone about her but she didn't want to embarrass him anymore than was inevitable. Even if they set aside her pregnancy, her age, and the fact that she'd met him without two dimes to rub together, they'd still have masculinity personified next to plain on a good day.

She couldn't fathom what he saw in her but when life gives you all you never dreamed to hope for- right as you hit rock bottom you don't spit in its face by questioning things too hard.

When she entered several nurses glanced sharply at the door, like they were expecting the anti-Christ to walk in. They stared at her hard as she made her way towards them and she started to second guess what Edward had said about people not judging her.

"Can I help you?" a girl in light pink scrubs assessed her through the window. Bella remembered a conversation she and Edward had in which he bragged that it was like getting to go to work in his pajamas every day and almost giggled.

"Isabella Swan?" she told the woman shyly, more of a question as she hoped she was in the correct wing of the large building, "I should have an 11:30 appointment with- Jasper." Of course she couldn't remember his last name to save her life.

The already snippy nurse's expression darkened noticeably when Bella said her name. "You mean Dr. Whitlock?" she corrected curtly, like Bella had addressed The Pope as 'Ben'.

The pretty brunette recoiled into her normal meek nature, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth as she nodded.

"You're early," she pointed to the clock behind her, and incase Bella was too stupid to decode the arms, added, "It's only 11."

"Eh, yes I know but, you see… I'm a new patient so I figured I'd have a lot to fill out and I'm supposed to meet Edwa- I'm mean, Dr. Cullen here before I go in-" She couldn't understand why her voice was so apologetic. She hadn't done anything wrong. The girls behind the counter looked like they were offended by her very existence.

She was handed, quite roughly, an alarmingly large amount of paper work and found a seat amongst a few other patiently waiting women. Bella was no stranger to hospital forms. She was an exceptionally clumsy child who had grown into an accident prone adolescent. She went to work filling out the empty lines, pausing sadly only for a moment when she came to emergency contacts before entering Edward and Alice's information.

"Is this seat taken?"

Her smile took over her face before she even moved her gaze, already familiar with the smooth, deep tones of his voice.

"Do you always pick up women in the waiting rooms of the gynecologist? I'm not sure that's ethical, Doctor," Bella teased in a voice too low too carry. She moved her huge purse onto the floor so that he could claim the seat next to her.

"Only the pretty ones," he grinned, leaning in to peck her lips chastely. Bella was surprised with how open he was in his place of employment and she realized she wasn't the only one when the nurse station broke into gasps and chatter. Their coldness towards her made a lot of sense all of a sudden.

"You aren't in your scrubs," she tugged on the hem of his plain black t-shirt that looked sinful over a pair of dark fitted jeans.

"I'm off the clock," he kept grinning like a fool and pretended to relax in the uncomfortable chair by crossing his bulging arms behind his head, "I didn't want anyone trying to bother me while I was in with you. This is strictly Bella and baby time."

She gazed over at him like he was the best thing that ever happened to her. And he probably was.

He gave her another brief but tender kiss and got up quickly. "I just wanted to say 'hello'. Finish up here, angel. I'm going to clear us a room so we can get in faster. I want to take you out to lunch after to celebrate but I only have until twelve so we have to hurry."

She almost whimpered as she watched him walk away, giving her a silly wave as he disappeared through the door. It was selfish to want him to hold her hand through the whole terrifying ordeal. He was already doing more for her than was reasonable.

Bella completed all that she was able to answer without her medical records handy, and shuffled reluctantly back to the pack of sneering woman. It was like high school all over again.

One of them took her paper work and let her walk all the way back to her seat before a different nurse promptly opened the office door and called her name.

"_Ms_. Swan," she called loudly, with an emphasis on the portion of her name that stated her unmarried status. Or it might have been Bella's self conscious imagination.

This woman's scrubs were a deep blue and unlike her predecessor she managed to muster a forced smile.

"First pregnancy?" she asked Bella conversationally as they stopped in front of the standard black scale.

The brunette nodded, as she abandoned her bag and heavy shoes on a nearby chair. "Eh, yeah. First time."

Bella stepped on and the nurse pushed the scales until they balanced. "115. That sound about right?"

"I've gained six pounds," she mused. Not a huge surprise. Edward fed her well.

The nurse's red lips curled into a sickly sweet smile. "Yeah. Our patients hate this point in the pregnancy. When you don't really look pregnant yet, you just look _fat_." she let the comment simmer as Bella's fragile self esteem took the hit, "Right this way…"

Edward was already waiting in the small exam room when they entered and Bella wondered if it would be too terribly rude to throw herself into his arms for a good cry. She needn't bother though because as soon as he saw her he lifted her up and deposited her onto the paper covered table, pressing a kiss into her temple when she let out a shaky laugh.

He held her hand tightly in his own and turned to the nurse expectantly. The blonde woman had been watching them with and expression that suggested she might become ill.

"Are you waiting for something, Alison?" Edward cocked a brow at her, the warmth he had when addressing Bella completely gone.

"My name's Anna." She paled.

He frowned like her correction was unnecessary. "_And_ you're still not doing you're job…"

Bella genuinely tried to stifle a giggle but he felt the vibration in their joined hands. He angled his head to give her a playful wink.

The pretty nurse stuttered through an incredibly detailed list of questions for Bella, somehow managing to refrain from the snarky comments she'd enjoyed in the hallway. Bella answered them to the best of her ability and even Edward proudly chipped in with a few, since he'd been providing her with her current course of prenatals.

Bella guiltily enjoyed the nurse's discomfort. She wasn't a cruel woman, but she was a woman just the same. She was still relieved when the two were finally left alone.

"Boring parts out of the way. It's only fun stuff from here on out."

Edward smiled down at her and brushed a few wayward hairs from her face, brimming with pride as Bella handled everything with grace and maturity. Mainly he was impressed that she was doing so well when he was a complete basket case inside.

He'd been insistently pestering Jasper the entire morning, reminding him about the appointment before he'd ever had the opportunity to forget. The competent doctor had never been on this side of the arrangement before and he was as out of his element as it was possible to be.

He cared deeply for the women he looked after but had never shared such a personal stake in their pregnancies. He'd had hundreds of ultrasounds go smoothly but as he sat beside his girl, her tiny hand in his sweating palm, it was the ones that didn't go well that berated his weary mind. What if is something wasn't right? Bella would be heart broken and he wouldn't handle to news much better.

He had even seen to it that he was charged directly for Bella's care and her mother's insurance information had been discarded. The more he worried that 'Renee' would be able to find his Bella using the information, the more he convinced himself using it would be a bad idea. He felt no shortage of guilt in squandering a mother's hope of finding her missing daughter but it wasn't enough to risk Bella being taken from him. He knew he'd protect her with everything he had in him and he wasn't going to promote outside interferences until she welcomed them herself.

Of course he didn't tell Bella that he'd be footing the massive bill… Edward Cullen had money and he couldn't fathom a way he'd rather spend it.

Both 'first time parents' looked moments from passing out by the time Jasper waltzed into the room, whistling some unidentifiable southern tune like he hadn't a care in the world.

The blonde grinned at his newest patient trembling up on padded bunch, ignoring his rather green best friend.

"Button! How we feelin', momma?"

Bella's body relaxed at the site of a friendly face and cheerfully voice.

"I'm good, Dr. Whitlock."

Jasper wrinkled his nose distastefully, "Jasper or Jazz will do just fine, darlin'," he pulled a red tootsie pop from his coat's breast pocket and presented it to her like a long stemmed rose. "I swiped you a sweet from pediatrics. Know it doesn't do me any good with you to come empty handed."

Bella giggled and accepted the offering. Edward rolled his eyes but appreciated Jasper's soft touch. He'd always been much more popular with the patients than he was the administration. It was good to having his buddy there to ease his nerves.

"You stole candy from sick children for me? What a gentlemen," she snorted.

"I don't get a lollipop?" Edward eyed his best friend, displeased.

Jasper smirked wolfishly, "I love ya' bud but you just ain't as pretty as Button."

Edward scowled at Jasper's back as he set to work pulling on gloves. Bella gave him a gentle nudge with her shoulder.

"I think you're pretty," she whispered consolingly, already popping the stolen treat into her mouth. He smiled fondly down at her and pulled the sucker from her mouth, sucking into his own.

"I'll just hold onto this for you until we're all done here," he mumbled around the stick.

Bella got her arm pumped for blood pressure and her finger poked to check her sugar levels for common gestational diabetes. She yelped at Jasper when she was pricked but it was Edward that gave the doctor an anxious warning for hurting her, as if he didn't know it was unavoidable.

The Texan just rolled his gray eyes and threatened to kick him out.

"Alright, Button. Lean back for me. It's time to see that baby."

Bella and Edward were deathly pale as she laid back on the crinkling paper and rolled up her expensive shirt. Edward tried not to take notice, he really did, but her stomach was beautiful, lean and long and pale. He tore his eyes away long enough to make sure Jasper wasn't staring unnecessarily and gave his girl's hand a calming squeeze.

"I'm going to need you to unbutton your jean's for me, momma. They're too high."

Edward stiffened, worried Bella would be uncomfortable but the girl just blushed lightly and narrowed her pretty eyes and Jazz, teasing.

"You just brought me a piece of candy. You'll need to a least take me out to dinner before you start making demands like that, cowboy."

Edward snickered as Jaspers ears turned pink in embarrassment, a rare occurrence.

Bella promptly unfastened her pants and the off duty physician nearly groaned when he caught a flash of lacy pink panties before Jasper quickly covered the pelvic bones with a modesty cloth. Apparently Edward was the one that had problems when it came to professionalism.

Bella tensed as Jasper went to squeeze a liberal amount of pale blue gel on to her belly but looked pleasantly surprised when it hit her flesh.

"I thought that stuff was supposed to be uncomfortably cold," she wondered aloud. She had only been a few weeks along when she'd gotten her last ultrasound and they'd used the rather humiliating transvaginal wand.

The two men snorted a laugh.

Edward smiled. "Decades of technological advancement and we've finally managed to keep the gel at a reasonable tempera-"

The words died in his throat and his breath left him in one painful compression of his lungs because Jazz had used the distraction to press the transducer against her belly and suddenly there were four lives in the room, not three. Edward's trained eyes could make out every little beat of the baby's heart.

"Oh Bella," he whispered as she smiled tearfully and clasped his hand.

He'd been so worried about something being wrong with that little baby but he hadn't at all considered how it would feel to see its tiny body forming perfectly, his heart thumping proud and strong inside the woman he adored.

Jasper pointed out to Bella what Edward could already see. That large round head and a miniature button nose, short arms and legs attached to a little peanut body.

She was _beautiful_.

Perfect like her mother and seconds after Edward's spinning mind escaped the shock it started racing out of control. Suddenly there were sleepless nights and equally sleepless days, miniature blankets and more diapers than there was room to put them.

They'd make silly faces to coax her first smile and drive for hours because the rocking of the car would sooth her into a nap. Cars! He'd need to buy a bigger one. He didn't have anything large enough and babies came with a lot of stuff. Car seats and strollers and when she was older there'd be friends and carpools and siblings….

Siblings! Would Bella want more babies-

"Ed!"

Edward's attention snapped away from the monitor to find Jasper and Bella gaping at him. He didn't have a clue how long he'd checked out for, but judging from the smirk on his best friend's face he was probably noticeably overwhelmed.

He collected himself so he wouldn't worry Bella and bent to kiss her lips reverently. "She's perfect, love."

Bella nodded, her eyes shinning. "He."

"We'll see, sweetheart," Edward placated, brushing the wet tears off her cheeks. He glanced at Jazz. "We got pictures?" He wanted to show everyone. His mother was going to die when she saw that perfect profile.

He made an internal promise to call his parents and tell them that he and Bella would be making it to the family dinner on Saturday, the one he religiously skipped. For the first time in far too long he felt that he had something he wanted to celebrate with all of the important people in his life.

"Only about a hundred, brother," Jasper reassured. He got that look that normally spelled pure trouble, "Printed them to the nurse's station. They'll be under 'Baby Swan-Cullen', you two can pick them up from the girls up front on your way out."

The two friends laughed, picturing the cries that would come from the nosey women as those pictures made it off the printer. Edward gave the prankster a grateful nod and took it upon himself to gently wipe Isabella's tummy clean.

It was hard to look at her the same way. He always knew she was gorgeous, since the moment he laid eyes on her, but experiencing this by her side brought out emotions he didn't know how to process yet. He felt like he was going to burst.

They wrapped things up quickly, he was eager to get her to lunch and out of the hospital. Bella looked happier than Edward could ever remember and her energy left him in a blissful daze. When she was happy, he was happy. Simple as that.

Jasper clapped his hand on Edward's shoulder and gave him a manly pat as Bella skipped off to the front to get her pictures.

"Happy mom, healthy baby. You're a lucky son of a bitch, Ed."

Edward followed after her with a goofy, prideful smirk. "I know."

…

_AN; Who thinks Edward's avoidance strategy is going to work forever ? Not me! _

_Next chapter we'll get the whole Cullen family together for dinner as see what happens when you pair a spiteful Rosalie against a fiercely protective Edward. _

_Love the reviews. You all are great. They will definitely get me to work on this story even though I'd love to devote more time to my other ff, so if you have time please leave one! _


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: All Twilight characters and core personality traits are the property of SM. I own nothing, nor do I plan on profiting from using her work. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Nise7465 beta-ed this mess of a chapter for me. She's beyond fantastic. Once again if you haven't checked out her story it is well worth the time. **

Edward watched Bella compulsively smooth her palms over her pretty blue dress out of the corner of his eye. It was difficult to keep his gaze on the road when there was such a vision sitting in the passenger seat, even with stunning coastal views breezing by.

"You look beautiful," he reassured her, reaching over the center console to take her slightly clammy hand in his.

He was more than grateful, proud even, that she was willing to do this for him but he could tell she was anxious and had considered turning the car around and taking her back to their safe, comfortable home several times during the short drive to the Cullen estate. He wanted both mother and child to experience nothing but contentment and peace, and if Bella was uncomfortable, he wasn't doing his job.

She smiled meekly at him. "You just said that a few minutes ago," Bella rolled her pretty eyes but still gave him a thankful squeeze.

"Well then it must be true."

The normally easy going little creature was ants-in-her pants nervous, primping and straightening and squirming in the expensive leather seat. She was naturally divine and didn't need to spend hours prepping herself to leave the house like most women did, so Edward was surprised when she took nearly two hours to get ready for dinner with his family… Until she marched timidly into the kitchen, declared she was ready to go and took his breath away.

She looked just like an angel in a delicate blue lace dress, her silken hair rolling down her small shoulders in enticing waves. Her perfect breasts were covered modestly but their significant roundness, and the endearing bump of her child was accentuated by the taut fabric. Definitely an Alice approved dress and Edward reminded himself to thank the pixie profusely. Bella had obviously put a great deal of effort into looking nice for him and his family and he had done nothing but voice his appreciation since he'd laid eyes on her.

"You don't have to be nervous. You've already met most of them and they all just adore you," he her reminded tenderly.

Bella turned and looked out the window to hide her apprehension, "I haven't met Emmett and his wife yet and Alice said Rosalie… isn't very friendly."

"That's all Alice said?" he hedged, amused and certain Bella was making his sister's colorful wording more polite.

"Well… not exactly," Edward looked at her expectantly, "She said she was a… '_money hungry whore with the temperament off a viper,'" _ Bella confessed in a whisper, her pretty face bright red.

Edward chuckled, "Don't listen to Ali, baby. Her and Rose have very conflicting personalities."

"So you get along with her?" Bella perked up, hopeful.

"I didn't say that… I just don't care for her either way. She's not my favorite person in the world, she's very cold, but that doesn't bother me like it does my sister." Alice wanted all hearts and hugs and he'd accepted immediately that Rose just wasn't that kind of person.

"Oh…" she didn't sound reassured.

"It'll be just fine, darling. If you don't like her you don't have to talk to her. My mother isn't going to want to share you anyway."

Bella smiled, "Esme's so sweet."

"She was over the moon when I told her we'd be coming tonight. She's called every other day since the two of you met."

"That was two weeks ago, Edward. Why haven't you invited her over for dinner?" she balked disapprovingly.

He cleared his throat and kept his eyes on the road, a sign of clear guilt, "Alice already takes up so much of your time… I don't like to share."

Bella giggled and swatted his arm.

"I'll have to make sure I invite her over personally since you're proving to be an unreliable middle man."

His chest puffed with satisfaction at Bella's playful words. No, he didn't like to share her attention but the thought of _his girl_ inviting his parents over to _their home_ for a small family meal was exhilarating. He had never envied Emmett's marriage, had been content with his solitary existence, but Bella's presence in his life brought him incomparably more fulfillment than any tryst he'd ever shared with a beautiful conquest.

Bella was _his_ family now. Not the kind a boy is born or adopted into, but the kind a man makes with the woman he loves.

"She'd like that, darling."

Bella smiled and quietly enjoyed the scenic views passing out side the car window. She stiffened slightly when her constantly racing mind landed on another concern. Edward frequently thought he could see her little wheels turning inside.

"What are we eating tonight?"

He grinned, thrilled that he had already anticipated this concern and had it promptly taken care of. He remembered her mentioning her pregnancy induced aversion to fish.

"I'm not sure but I told my mother that anything seafood was off the menu," he released her hand to give her belly a playful pat, "We wouldn't want to upset anyone."

"I'm probably not making a very good impression… The first time I get invited over and I have all kinds of special demands."

"_Please_. No fish because it makes you ill is hardly a fickle demand. Rose is a vegetarian. Mom has to make two meals every Saturday, one for her and something normal for the rest of us," he rolled his eyes.

"She's a vegetarian but Emmett still eats meat?"

"Honestly if my brother could feasibly eat nothing but red meat he would do it happily. He developed a terrible case of gout after he moved out of the house and was responsible for feeding himself," Edward snickered. Him and Carlisle had gotten a great deal of amusement out of Em's swollen big toe and had only stopped their relentless teasing when Esme stepped in to defend her 'poor baby boy'.

"She tried to convert him but he started hoarding Slim Jims. Guess she got tired of finding them hidden around the house. I'm not even sure those things have any actual meat in them."

"He sounds like a funny guy," Bella tittered, "Why would he marry…"

"A shrew?" he supplied, unperturbed.

"_Well_, yeah."

Edward, and everyone else in his small family, had wondered that very same thing ever since his brother put a ring on the ostentatious woman's finger. All had arrived at a fairly simple answer.

"Rose is a pretty girl. Alice drug Emmett to a fashion show because she didn't want to go alone and I had to work. Rose was modeling," he shook his head with a laugh; "_To this day_ my sister still blames and boycotts Yves Saint Laurent."

Bella frowned. "So he's with her because she's attractive? That's kinda awful."

"It's not so bad when you consider that she's probably only with him for the money. Not that my brother doesn't have plenty of positive qualities but woman like Rosalie Hale are expensive." In his opinion truer words had never been spoken, "It seems like a fair enough trade if that's what they're willing settle for in life." He glanced over at Bella anxiously. He didn't much enjoy having conversations like this with her. She seemed too… wholesome… to be bothered with the dealings of less savory people, even if they happened to be members of his own family.

He also left out that 'Emmett's money' was actually _his_ money. Rosalie had set out to snag a rich husband but had only managed to get her claws into a man with a generous brother. Aside from the large amount of money he gave them each month, Edward and his father had donated a small fortune and the full extent of their medical knowledge on futile attempts to help Rose and Em conceive, even though Edward feared Rose cared less about being a mother and more about clinging to the Cullen name. Emmett himself wasn't worth anything more than Edward was willing to give him until Carlisle and Esme passed away, but the first and only Cullen grandchild… that would be worth something.

Women like Rose were a large part of the reason Edward had never indulged in female companionship that surpassed the primitive needs of his body.

He wondered fleetingly if his money would ever be _his and Bella's_ money and if she would approve of the life styles he funded.

"That sounds like permanent prostitution," she blurted before slapping her hand to her mouth like she was trying to trap the words back in.

Edward threw his head back with a laugh, "_Permanent prostitution_? God, please don't repeat that in front of Alice. She'd have it printed on t-shirts and gifted to Rose for Christmas."

Bella looked over at him coyly. "Hmmm… That sounds like something Jasper would do. Those two would make quite the pair, wouldn't they?" she pointed out.

"I hope you're talking hypothetically…"

"Oh. Yeah. Just saying…" He unfortunately missed the glint in her keen brown eyes as he navigated the long private driveway of his parents' home.

He grunted a noncommittal response. He didn't want Jazz anywhere near his baby sister and had gone through great lengths to keep the two from meeting. He'd seen Jasper break far too many hearts over the years, and though he couldn't deny that they would probably be a good match he was content to wait until Whitlock was ready to take a woman seriously for once. And if Alice just happened to settle with someone respectable, or decided to join a convent, before that little phenomenon occurred… _oh well._

Bella gasped softly as the house came into view. It actually wasn't much larger than Edward's home but it was on a beautiful piece of land and Esme had painstakingly designed the entire structure herself. The three-story Victorian was built with a lot of love and it truly showed.

"Wow. This is beautiful…" she marveled, her little nose nearly pressing against the glass as Edward pulled in behind his brother's white Range Rover.

"It was just an empty lot when they bought it. It's been my mother's project since they moved from Chicago."

"Did the whole family move together?"

"Eh, no…" Edward answered while trying to hide his guilt. He had moved to put some space between them, to try and let them live without the burden of his depression in the years following his mother's death. They had followed because they loved him too much to let him go. "No, I moved up here to go to med school and they followed. My parents and Alice first, and then Em."

"Oh," Bella looked curious but Edward was out of the car and walking around to open her door before she could think of another question. She smiled up at him as she accepted his hand to help lift her out of the low seat.

He made sure to grab the thick envelope he had stored in the glove compartment before he closed the passenger door. The main reason he was subjecting them to dinner tonight was to show off the precious sonograms he'd been studying all week. He'd even pinned one proudly to the inside of his locker at work, the tiny profile greeting him as he started his shift each morning and sending him off after each tiresome day, right as he was readying to go home to his or her lovely mother.

He also went around back to grab the tantalizing cake Bella had insisted on baking as payment for the invitation to the family's Saturday meal, despite Edward's insistence she was part of the family and needed to bring nothing but herself. He took in a tortuous whiff of what he had come to know as the best carrot cake ever made and moaned. Yet another part of Bella he'd prefer not to share.

Edward could only assume they had been staring out the windows in anticipation because Esme and Alice spilled out the front door before the new couple had even made it up the porch steps. He grumbled to himself as they ripped his Bella off his arm and pushed him off to the side to fuss over her.

"Oh, Bella! You look beautiful. I'm so glad you could make it!" Esme melted, hugging the timid girl close before taking a small step back to admire her like a reverent mother that had been away from her child for far too long, "That dress is stunning on you. And look at that belly!" She rubbed her hand on Bella's small bump causing the girl to blush and Edward to preen.

Alice practically body checked the other woman out of the way and threw her skinny arms around Bella's neck. "It's BCBG, mother. I knew it was made for her the moment I saw it," she boasted, never missing an opportunity to show off her fashion expertise.

Edward had to admit that the stunning brunette made the best model he'd ever seen.

Bella embraced Alice back warmly, her smile comfortable and sweet. Though he obviously knew they worked together, he'd never actually seen his girlfriend and his sister in the same room. It was confusing and awe-inspiring to see the two woman greet one another as friends.

The redhead passed his beaming mother Bella's cake before he could succumb to his desire to swipe his finger through the cream cheese frosting. The tiny pregnant female had made threats against his life if he were to spoil the treat before it made it to its intended recipient.

"Bella baked dessert, mother."

Esme smiled brightly at the two of them. The well mannered lady had never gone as a guest to someone's home without bringing something as a thoughtful gesture. He knew that seeing her son with a woman who held the same level of domestic hospitality filled her with the happiness that seemed to be radiating from her.

"That's too kind of you, dear. You didn't have to do that but I'm so glad you did. This smells wonderful!" she gushed as she ushered Bella through the door, "We were just going to have some ice cream after dinner so this is a lovely surprise."

Edward and Alice looked at each other before snorting a sarcastic laugh. Their mom had never in their lives served a simple ice cream for dessert. Edward was warmed that she was willing to hide whatever carefully planned last course she had concocted in order to make Bella feel included.

Carlisle and Emmett were lounging on the sofa as Esme walked a very complementary Bella into the living room but stood up instantly when they saw the new guest.

Edward was on edge about his father's reaction to seeing Bella now that they were clearly the couple Carlisle had discouraged but the regal blonde surprised him by offering Bella a warm greeting and a gentle hug.

Instead it was Emmett that caught his negative attention as the brut sized up Bella's body appreciatively, lewdly letting his blue eyes travel slowly over the most intimate part of her. Edward tensed and was immediately at Bella's side, wearily overseeing her introduction to his brother.

Emmett wasn't disrespectful by nature, he was just accustomed to the women on Edward's arm being lovely showstoppers that reveled in the attention they received. And though the two brothers hadn't spoken since the day after he met Bella and Emmett couldn't possibly know the depth of his feelings for her, the young doctor had never before brought a girl home to meet his mother and that should have been the first clue Bella was an entirely different animal.

Edward was always smug when he noticed envious male eyes on Tanya, it was a major perk to keeping the flawless blonde around, but it made his blood heat uncomfortably to even _think _about someone looking at Bella that way. She was just as beautiful, if not more so, but she was his and he gained no satisfaction in showing her off to anyone but his doting mother.

"Bella this is my brother, Emmett," he wrapped his arm around her affectionately, "Em this is Bella Swan, _my girlfriend_."

The room grew silent for just a moment in reaction to his claim of possession. No one expected him to embrace his first relationship quite so quickly. The blood drained from Carlisle's face while Esme's eyes lit up like a child on Christmas morning.

Emmett grinned broadly and instead of shaking her hand like Edward had hoped, pulled Bella into a intimate hug. He glowered as his brother wiggled his bushy eyebrows suggestively over her shoulder.

"Great to finally meet you, little Bella. Eddie here didn't tell me how pretty you are."

Edward grabbed Bella's wrist and gently pulled her back under his arm. "I very specifically told you how pretty she is. Where's Rose?" he grumbled into Bella's hair, green eyes glaring at his only male sibling.

Emmett shrugged, "D'know."

"Oh she's been on a very important call for the last thirty minutes," Alice sneered, inclining her head towards the hallway, "You know, elite gossip waits for no one... Especially not family. "

Bella's head shot towards Emmett, the only one in the room that expected him to defend his wife, but he just scoffed and plopped back onto the arm of the couch.

Edward gave Bella a stiff smile and sat her down on a cozy love seat.

"Let me get you something to drink, sweetheart." He was sure his mother must have bought some kind of healthy juice for her when he told her they'd be coming, Bella wouldn't been enjoying a glass of wine with her meal like the rest of them. Normally Esme would offer refreshments right away but she looked a little star struck as she stared at his date.

Bella seemed uneasy at the prospect of being left alone but Alice plopped her boney bottom into the too small space in Bella's chair and started chatting happily. Edward used to diversion to slip away.

Carlisle and Emmett followed him into the kitchen like defeated warriors, their coveted space in front of the big screen conquered by estrogen.

As soon as they cleared the walls Emmett pounded his beefy fist into his brother's back. "Dude! Fucking nice. I was picturing little orphan Annie not that hot piece of jail bait…" He whispered so loudly he needn't have bothered.

"_Told you_…" Carlisle coughed.

Edward looked at his father incredulously. "Dad!"

"Hey, now… We're all men here, Eddie. You can't bring a girl like that around and blame us for appreciating the goods," Emmett defended.

Edward growled, "If you can't behave yourself we'll leave. I want her get to know everyone but I won't have you clowning around and making her uncomfortable…"

Carlisle tensed, shooting Emmett an imploring glance. Esme would be so disappointed if the girl had gotten Edward over to a family meal for the first time in ages just to be run off by her other son.

The large jokester sobered up immediately, the lighthearted smile melting from his face, "Come on, brother, you know I didn't mean anything by it. It was a complement. She's a pretty little thing."

"Who's a '_pretty little thing'_?"

All three Cullen men winced, though none nearly as bad as Emmett. Edward glanced up at the patio door, but he didn't need to actually see the pissed off blonde vixen to know that the dangerously hissed question had come from his sister-in-law. He couldn't believe they hadn't heard the clicking of her Louboutins. The sound normally warned them of her presence like a bell around a cat's neck.

Edward couldn't help but smirk as Emmett's face tinted and unhealthy shade of red. Carlisle snickered.

"You, baby girl," her husband grinned with impossibly deep dimples. "You all done with the phone call, kitten?"

Rose just sneered at her husband and Edward felt his panic start to grow. She was very obviously in a bad mood for some reason, even more so than usual, and he didn't like the idea of introducing her to the precious girl in the other room if she was being volatile.

He straightened his posture and inclined his head , respectful, before she could start her attack on his brother. "Rosalie. So good to see you again."

She had always seemed to like Edward more then the rest of the family. His no nonsense, non-sentimental nature appealed to her. The blonde studied him keenly, her blood red lips lifting into a smirk.

"Edward. I didn't expect you to be here alone tonight," she noted smoothly. She seemed to perk up as she looked around and noticed no girl on his arm.

"Bella's with my mother and Ali in the living room. I'll introduce you, if you'd like," he offered warily.

From the way Rose's pretty face morphed from amusement to hostility it was clear that she wouldn't like that at all.

"Of course," she sighed in that 'if-we-must' fashion.

Edward turned, remembering too quickly grab Bella a drink, just in time to see his dad swipe a thick finger through the frosting of the cake he so coveted.

"Oh you're _so busted,"_ he shook his head at Carlisle, forlorn.

The handsome blonde groaned appreciatively as he sucked the sweetness off his finger. "_My God,_ that's all that's good in the world."

"I know. That's why it took every ounce of my willpower to get it here intact and you just ruined it in like… five minutes." Edward pointed at the finger sized whole in the frosting that was only common at children's birthday parties and around the Cullen men.

Carlisle grinned and pulled out a small butter knife. Edward watched as his more intelligent predecessor expertly smoothed out the spot and licked the utensil clean.

"If you have a woman like Bella in your kitchen you're going to need to learn the tricks of the trade, young pup."

Edward chuckled, "Yeah that would probably work if I wasn't planning on telling on you."

Carlisle paled.

At that point Emmett would normally jump in with a comment about how whipped his brother was, or something about how just because Bella was going to be a mom didn't mean he needed to go tattling to her, but Rose was still glaring holes in him and he was on his best behavior for once.

Edward finished up quickly to let him out of his misery. Bella smiled up at him when he walked back into the room, her doe eyes shinning. It never failed to make his own lips curve into a goofy grin. The beautiful brunette stood politely when she saw the new blonde woman following him in.

Rose was visibly formidable as Edward took to Bella's side to introduce the two. She was powerful and strong and she looked over Edward's little mate like a pit bull whose territory was being encroached upon by a lesser, wholly unwelcome animal.

Edward rested his hand on Bella's lower back to reassure her. "Bella, love, this is my sister in law, Rose. Rose this is my girlfriend, Bella Swan," he repeated his earlier introductions, the whole family watching.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Rose," Bella piped up sweetly.

He could tell she felt threatened, like any good mother-to-be her hand went to rest protectively on the small swell of her child. Edward should have warned her that the action was just about the worst thing in the world to do at that moment.

Rose's passive gaze followed the movement of Bella's hand and her eyes solidified on its perch. Her mouth twisted into a hint of a grimace.

"It's _Rosalie_," she corrected curtly.

Bella blanch. "Oh- I'm sorry, I just-"

"Don't apologize to her!" Alice ordered, already fuming. "You have all of us call you Rose, _Rosalie_."

Emmett's wife blinked at her tiny sister-in-law, not at all ashamed at being called out, "Well of course. _We're _all family."

Esme gasped, scandalized by Rose's behavior and Edward's fist balled at his side like he was trying not to hit something with it.

Alice shrieked, "Why, you bit-"

"-It's alright," Bella cut her off and waved her hand in warning. She hadn't come to start an ugly fight, "I'm sorry, Rosalie. That was presumptuous of me."

Edward was proud, but not surprised that his girl was able to deflect the tactless insult with so much poise, even as he was irate that she had reason to.

The tension in the room could be cut by a dull knife. Emmett, embarrassed and uncomfortable went for the easy diversion.

"Dad stuck his finger in your cake, Bella!" he blurted. "I tried to stop him but he's an animal…"

Carlisle rubbed the nape of his neck guiltily as he glared at his son. Esme arched a speculative eyebrow at him. "You didn't…"

Bella's enchanting giggle lulled everyone but Rosalie into less severe postures. She smiled at the cake mutilator indulgently. "So… worth it?"

"You bet, sweetheart," Carlisle winked with a crooked grin. Even though he and his green-eyed son shared no blood relation it was clear that Edward had learned many of his mannerisms from his adoptive father.

"_Well_… dinner only has a few minutes left in the oven and Alice already set the table. Why don't we are have a seat while we wait?" Esme suggested cheerfully, still frazzled but hoping to save the visit.

She sat and the rest of the family followed her lead, settling themselves into Esme's immaculate living room. Edward tried to pull Bella into his lap and chuckled when she squealed and tried to bat him away discretely, like the whole family wasn't already watching their every move. She huffed, her little face red with embarrassment, but cozied in next to him and took his hand with a uncontainable smirk.

Everyone snickered and pretended not to hear Rose's scoff.

"Whatcha' got there, brother?" Alice snooped with false curiosity.

Edward tore his eyes away from the girl next to him long enough to see that she was pointing at the sonogram envelope he had placed of the coffee table by Bella's purse.

While he had come to his parents house with full intensions of showing off the first pictures of the baby he was suddenly very unsure. Rose's reaction to Bella had been negative to the extreme and it wasn't hard to tell that the pregnancy bothered her. He had called his sister excitedly after the appointment with Jazz and she knew well what was in the white packet.

Alice was trying to wound Rosalie from her display of hostility towards Bella.

Edward was going to try to hide the envelope and put off sharing the pictures until a more appropriate time but he saw Bella's eyes absolutely light up at the mention of the photos. With the last few weeks of his support and encouragement, she was beaming with pride over the child she was carrying and him dismissing the pictures like they were unimportant would crush her. She needed someone to swoon over her sonogram pictures, she deserved it, and he wasn't going to let Rose take that away from them.

He put on his best smile and picked up the packet to pass to his mother. She looked confused but opened it carefully, Carlisle looking on over her shoulder.

"Meet baby Swan," he announced softly, knowing all too well that his surname was also on the small black and white pictures.

He expected his mother's happiness and his father's apprehension, what he didn't expect was what actually happened.

Esme's eyes filled up with instant tears and she launched herself onto Bella. The small woman didn't quite fit on the love seat with its two occupants so she ended up on her knees in front on them, pulling her son and his companion into a crushing hug.

"Oh Bella, dear, she's so beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing these with us," she sniffed into Bella's long hair. "I've never seen such a perfect little thing in my entire life!"

"Hey!" Emmett took offense.

Carlisle rolled his eyes, "Son, you were already fifteen and six feet tall when you came into our lives. I hardly think you fall into the same category."

Edward watched his father gently trace the tip of his finger over the child's tiny face, his expression nearly as reverent as he himself felt when studying Bella's blessing.

Esme was practically in his lap in an attempt to get close to Bella so Edward surrendered his spot and went to look over the pile of pictures with his dad, passing half of them to Alice so she would stop bouncing with anticipation.

Carlisle clapped his hand on his back and pulled him in for a firm hug. The two men hadn't shared a comparable moment since the day Edward graduated from med school and he was surprised how much satisfaction he still got out of getting his father's approval.

Carlisle was trying to be objective about Bella's sudden presence but he wasn't any better at resisting the appeal of a grandchild than Esme was.

"So what do you think?" Edward asked nervously, nodding towards the sonogram.

The blonde shook his head with a shaky laugh, looking over as his wife rubbed Bella's bump and rattled off about nursery themes and registries. "The child's flawless, son. I'm not sure which is more breathtaking, this little profile or how happy it's making your mother."

"Is it a boy or a girl? I can never tell on these fuzzy things," Alice complained, turning the sonogram from side to side like the image would become something more recognizable if shifted enough times.

"_Too soon_," Carlisle and Edward answered simultaneously.

"We won't find out until our next appointment, in a month," Edward added, meeting Bella's warm smile from across the room.

The pixie looked distraught. "A month! She needs to find out as soon as possible… All of the best newborn vendors are in New York and they aren't going to let you fly in your third trimester!" she panicked, "We can't go until we find out. I just hate when people buy neutrals. A baby girl deserves pink."

"She's not going to New York while she's pregnant, Alice," Edward tensed at the idea of her being away from him, especially further along in her pregnancy.

"She's my employee, Edward," his sister challenged, "It's a business trip!"

"Oh that's right. You girls are working together," Esme was reminded, "How do you like that, dear, is my daughter treating you okay?"

The little brunette laughed, "Alice has been great. It's hardly work at all."

"Don't listen to her she's being modest. One of those twits at the store crashed our computer system by using my monitors for personal surfing. I was having a panic attack but Bella saved our files and got the system back up before I murdered Jane," Alice boasted genuinely.

Bella flushed, "It wasn't difficult. All of Alice's computers are so new. I used to work at a sporting good store in Fork's and those things there were _ancient_. I hand to save the system at least twice a shift."

"Is that what you did for a living?" Rosalie hissed.

Everyone slowly turned towards her. She'd been so deathly silent the whole time that she was forgotten in the excitement. Now as she recaptured their attention there were several muffled gasps. She looked feral, enraged, her blue eyes burning as they bore into Bella.

"Is that what girls from little nothing-towns do with their lives? Work the register in dingy shops?"

"Rose." Emmett implored softly but she didn't even spare him a glance.

Carlisle sat up straight, "Your tone, Rosalie."

The excited smile that Edward adored was long gone from his girl's lips but she didn't back down or shrink away as she engaged the scorned blonde evenly.

"I worked at Newton's through high school. I was going to attend Dartmouth on a scholarship when I found out about the baby," she answered, her confidence masking the hint of sadness in the statement.

Everyone gaped, Edward's head spinning. He knew Bella was intelligent but a scholarship to _Dartmouth_? He realized he'd never asked about her life before he met her out of fear of this exact scenario. The crushing blow to his chest when he found out how much his beautiful girl had given up.

Rose was taken aback but she wasn't done, not even close. "That's tragic. I can see why you were so reluctant to give up all that for something as insignificant as a bastard child."

No one could believe the words that had come from her mouth and for a moment, the family could do nothing but gaze at her in disbelief.

Emmett shot to his feet, his handsome face ashen, "_Rosalie don't you dare, you promised." _

The blonde looked at each of their dumfounded expressions and snickered cruelly.

"_What_? Edward only told Emmett how this little love story began? I realize it's not an appropriate a tale for the grandchildren but I think it's just darling that he pulled her out of the abortion clinic. I'm sure his money made the decision to keep the baby so much easier."

Sonograms littered the floor as they fell seemingly in slow motion from Edward's hands. Four seething pairs of eyes cut to Rosalie but he only registered the set of watery brown ones. He couldn't miss them if he wanted to. They were gazing at him like their gorgeous owner had just experienced the most painful betrayal of her life.

**AN: I know. Totally cliff hanger but this chapter got out of control and had to be stopped. Thought I'd give you a little drama. Don't have a cow though. This will be resolved by next chapter. This is really only half of this scene. Thanks for waiting guys. I really struggle with writing from 3****rd**** person when there are so many characters involved. **

**Review please if you have time. They are a blast to read. You guys are great. **


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: All Twilight characters and core personality traits are the property of SM. I own nothing, nor do I plan on profiting from using her work. No copyright infringement is intended.

**AN; Thank you all so much for all the reviews. You have no idea how much I enjoy reading them. Roughly two to three times as much as you enjoy reading my chapters. lol**

**Siobhan2006, author of several fantastic stories of her own, recommended my story on her blog (link bellow). It was flattering, unexpected, and incredibly sweet so I have to thank her so much for that. **

**www (dot) twilight between the sheets (dot) blogspot (dot) com**

**Again ****Nise7465 ****was kind enough to beta this chapter. She's really incredible. She updates her own ridiculously good story at least three times as often as I do and still manages to look over my chapters when I spring them on her spontaneously. So a thousand thank you's to her! **

**Alright, here we go… **

Edward had never experienced anything by which to compare the rush of emotion that hit him seconds after Rosalie's vicious words perforated his disbelief. The intelligent man was unshakable in most regards; human nature, the best and the worst of it, seldom surprised him and on the rare occasion it did, he cared too little about the affairs of other people for it to get any margin of a rise out of him.

It had _never_ happened in his adult life. He worked very hard at surrounding himself with only honest and dependable people, an admittedly short list, and was not a man in which strong emotions were easily evoked.

Now, as he watched his sweet girl's eyes fill with embarrassed tears, he felt very much like he was drowning. The crippling frustration, and his sudden inability to breathe around the weight pressing against his chest. The emotional rookie had no standby defense mechanisms to soften the blow.

Bella's lids blinked back moisture and her full bottom lip quivered ominously before she was able to hide her expression by dropping her gaze into her lap. She looked absolutely crushed and while he seemed to possess a surprising, innate, knack for soothing her in past situations, he felt entirely useless now, when she needed him the most.

How could he comfort someone that had just been emotionally pummeled by a member of his family with ammunition he handed them? The guilt was unbearable. It had been the lowest moment of Bella's life and he had shared the play-by-play with his brother like it was his story to tell. He struggled for words, or even the ability to _move_ but neither came quickly enough.

The stunning brunette sat straight and tucked the long curtain of hair behind her ears, a courageous attempt to show the room that she hadn't lapsed into sobs quite yet. Unfortunately her beautiful face was already that blotchy, pre-cry color as she forced a smile at Esme.

"Um, the bathroom?" she squeaked, her voice small but brave.

The compassionate older woman didn't seem to be fairing much better. Esme immediately grabbed the girl's hand and stood. She didn't want to be in the room any more than Bella did, her expression an odd mixture of mortification and anger over Rose's actions in her home.

"Let me show you, dear. It's upstairs and a bit of a pain to find."

There was a half bath just off the living room so Edward's panic ebbed some when he realized his mother was going to talk to Bella, perhaps give her the reassuring words his dry mouth couldn't seem to produce.

The woman he had spent the last irrationally perfect month building his future around didn't even look in his direction as she followed Esme past him, even as he stared up at her like a chastised puppy, desperate for forgiveness.

He clenched his eyelids tight and ran ridged, claw shaped hands through his hair. He could feel his father trying to pat his shoulder reassuringly but was wholly unable to process the comfort.

Could she possibly forgive him for this? Where would she go if she didn't?

It seemed like a lifetime since he'd brought her home but it hadn't been. Not even close. Nothing had really changed; she was still pregnant and vulnerable with no real long-term plan. The only difference now would be in the man she left behind, one that no longer wanted to live another day without her in his life. A man that wouldn't be able to bear coming home to an empty house, not after she had filled it with so much hope and excitement.

The room was silent once the twosome's footsteps faded up the stairs. Edward's shaky exhale resonated shockingly loud in the large space; he could hardly believe he was able to hear _anything_ over the blood pounding in his temples.

When he reopened his eyes they focused automatically on the form in front of him and Rosalie's smug, self-satisfied smile evoked a whole fresh set of emotions.

Unfortunately for her, Edward was familiar with these particular sensations and significantly better at expressing them than the ones he felt towards Bella.

Rage. Pure, unbridled fury ran through him like nothing he'd ever felt before. If he hadn't watched the words pour out of her mouth he never in a million years would have guessed Rosalie daft enough to cross him so deliberately. He didn't see Alice crying, Carlisle tense, or Emmett looking for all the world like he was going to throw up on Esme's polished cherry wood floors. Edward just bore into to Rose for a full minute before he could calm himself enough to articulate words.

"You _stupid fucking bitch_," he snarled, rabid, "_Who the hell_ do _you_ think you are?"

Rose's pale blue eyes widened. Edward was notorious for his temper but it was clear she hadn't expected him to confront her right there in front of the family. The man was nothing if not disciplined and tactful.

"Excuse me?" she hissed.

Edward's whole face flushed a deep red. Carlisle put a restraining hand on his son's arm when his body instinctually leaned towards her, hostile. "Are you kidding? You're going to play coy after _that_? That was the most pathetic, warrantless _attack_ I've ever seen in my life. She did _nothing_ to you. "

Rose shrugged but noticeably shrunk back when she took in his posture. If she was slightly less angry, just a fraction more rational through her blinding jealousy, she would have had the sense to back down.

"I don't feel as though I've done anything wrong. I thought they deserved to know that the child they were fawning over was _this close_ to become last month's medical waste," she napped back, holding her fingers apart to indicate a slight distance.

"You're sick," Alice choked, shaken.

"_I'm_ sick?" the furious blonde raged, "_I'm_ protecting this family. He's the one bringing that pregnant whore to his mother's home like she isn't a complete embarrassment."

Carlisle stood, sensing a complete blow out from his trembling redheaded son, "Rose you need to leave," he looked to her husband, blue eyes piercing, "Emmett you need to get your wife out of here until she can control herself."

Emmett seemed more than eager to obey but Edward wasn't having any of it.

"_No._ She's not just fucking walking out of here yet. This isn't over," he demanded, shooting to his feet, "You might be willing to let her behavior go and pretend it never happened but she hasn't had the misfortune of offended me yet," he huffed a short, manic laugh.

It wasn't enough. He hadn't had the satisfaction of wounding her like she had Bella and he refused to let her walk away, no worse for the wear. Rosalie wasn't the type that would be over come with guilt once her actions set in. She needed accountability. But he didn't just want to reprimand her, he wanted to _destroy _that stupid red smile.

"You only had to sit there and play nice for a few hours and you couldn't even handle that. You're _useless_. You have no control over your bitterness. You're like an animal," he spat.

Rose blanched, "Don't you dare talk to me like that-" She looked to Emmett for defense but he was just staring at his brother, his best friend, hopelessly.

"Like what? With no boundaries? With no respect for your feelings or propriety in my mother's home? Guess what Rose, you're going to get as good as you give."

"I'm a Cullen. She's nothing… She's not even an adult-"

Edward could hardly see straight. His mouth tasted like it was lined in burnt copper and he lost every ounce of his ability to filter his words. For Rose to use the family name she didn't deserve, to claim superiority over the girl he'd give it to in a moment was more than he could handle. Rosalie did _nothing_, was worth _nothing_ outside of the marriage. Even her generic beauty had faded with the passing of her modeling years.

"That's all you have, isn't it? The surname of a family that can _hardly stand you_. If I were to marry Bella tomorrow you wouldn't have a leg to stand on because you couldn't even _dream_ of comparing to her in _any other_ way."

Rose grimaced as she picked up the direction he was headed. He watched as her boney hands wrung in her lap and leered triumphantly at the sign of her vulnerability.

"But that's the point isn't it? You're so jealous you couldn't even contain it. Is it because she's more beautiful than you? Younger?" he laughed as he looked down on her seated form like she was dirt on his shoe. He knew exactly where to hit her to make it hurt.

"Is it because she landed the brother with money? The one with a career that exceeds the name of his father?

"_Or _is it the fact that she has a cherished, healthy baby in her belly when dad and I have dropped two hundred grand just so you can _fail_ at pretending you function like a proper woman?"

The words were deplorable, biting, the result of uncontrolled anger and the worst thing to have ever escaped his mouth. Their effect was instant. Rose's eyes filled and over flowed with tears for the first time in her history with the family when her brother-in-law hit his anticipated target.

"Edward!" Carlisle snapped, appalled. His son had never lost it like that. Edward was hard headed but always eerily controlled. Then again, he had never had anything worth defending until that pretty brown eyed girl.

"_That's enough. Listen to what you're saying, son. You aren't going to be able to just take this back when you cool down..."_he whispered grimly.

Edward barely wasted his time listening to Carlisle's warning. He was reveling in Rose's sobs, too far gone in his rage. He'd lose the best thing that ever happened to him and it was _her_ fault. Bella was going to leave him. She was going to be on the streets because she couldn't trust him.

"_No_. Fuck her," he refused his father simply, shaking his head, "She wants to sit and chat about everyone's dirty laundry? Thinks that family is entitled to know everything? Sounds fine to me. _But women with glass wombs shouldn't throw stones_," he joked cruelly, grinning.

"Lets talk about my dead mom next, or maybe Alice's junky birth parents…"

Emmett finally snapped into action and took a protective stance in front of his wife. He looked at Edward imploringly, a man caught in between two fires. Emmett had plenty of friends but he only had one brother and Edward had always been good to him.

"_Ed, man, please let it go_. We can talk about this later," he begged. "You can't talk to her like that."

Emmett meant to defuse the tension but he just ended up waving a more enticing red flag in front of an angry bull.

Edward's dark green gaze sharpened as they focused on the other man, instinctively more satisfying to confront than his temporarily fragile wife.

"And _you_," he breathed. "I told you that in confidence. I trusted my _brother_. I could be sued if Bella decided to report me."

"Bella would never do that," Alice defended her new friend heartedly.

Edward snorted bitterly, "Of course she wouldn't. That woman is sweet and good and she'd never do or say anything to hurt someone else. It makes me _fucking sick_ that I can't say that about all of my family."

He searched Emmett's face, not bothering to hide the sting of his betrayal. "You _know_ what your wife is like. How could you possibly tell her that about Bella?"

"She promised she wouldn't say anything. She swore," Emmett rattled off like Rose wasn't even in the room, "I was trying to make her feel better. We've been trying to have kids for _two years_ and mom tells me you were coming over with your pregnant girlfriend? How was Rosie supposed to handle that?"

Far from being appeased Edward's took a threatening step forward, "That's the kind of thing that makes her feel better about herself? The fact that Bella was so frightened she almost gave up her child? That's fucking disgusting."

"She just wanted to know that you weren't this perfect, happy little family all of a sudden. You think it feels good to watch our parents cry over a pregnancy we've wanted since we got married?" Emmett tried to reason softly.

Carlisle stepped in, speaking for Edward without the venom. "We've been nothing but sympathetic to your situation but Rose isn't the only one allowed to become pregnant in this family, Emmett. You can't expect your mother and me to pretend we aren't thrilled for Edward and Bella. We didn't do it to be cruel."

Emmett's shoulders squared defensively, his huge frame used to its full daunting potential. It was one thing to take shit from Edward because he had wronged him, it was another thing entirely to have Carlisle once again demonstrate his preference for his golden son in this pivotal family moment. Edward had always been the favorite and the man hardly wanted anything to do with them. He came and went as it suited his perfect life no matter who missed him when he forgot to call for weeks at a time.

"I don't understand why any of us are 'thrilled' for Edward. That kid isn't even fucking his!" he bellowed.

There was a moment of terrifying silence. Carlisle's figures dug into his son's shoulder, entirely convinced Edward was going to hit his larger sibling.

Edward's lips curled, the result of an emotion so far past fury that it manifested itself with incredulous amusement. His expression was all around unsettling and Alice held her breath tensely as her small body melted into the expensive chair she was attempting to bend into. A human chameleon for once in her life.

"That's great news, Emmett. Because all this time, I was under the impression that blood had nothing to do with family. It's why I've felt obligated to carry my 'brother's' dead weight.

"Thanks for clearing that up for me," he chuckled.

Emmett flushed, hurt and panicked. "Ed, I _am _your brother. _I'm your family_."

"Not according your own definition," Edward shook his head, chiding, "You have _two months_ to figure out how to cover your own expenses. I'm done. I'm not giving you another dime.

"That means the mortgage on the house, the car payments, the _fucking ridiculous_ credit card bills you send me every month. Everything, Emmett. You want to find out how loyal Rose is when you make as much as you earn? Here's your chance."

"Don't do this," Emmett choked out, whether in reference to Edward denouncing their relationship or cutting him off, it was impossible to tell. "Don't pick her over yo-"

"No, you're right," he was cut off. "I don't have any familial obligation to her or the baby. No shared blood. But that girl…" he pointed up the grand stair case, almost smiling at the mere thought of her, "She's worth it. They're worth all of it."

Edward glanced down at Rose who was crying selfishly over her own misfortune before meeting his brother's eyes. Cold, vacant, unyielding, green orbs.

"You're not."

Emmett's lips parted as the air fled his lungs, his thick legs suddenly weak. He shook his head slowly, unable to fully comprehend. "You don't mean that-"

The younger brother laughed one last time. "You have five minutes to get out of my face before I call the police and report _my_ Range Rover outside stolen. I really suggest you leave while you still have the means to do so."

Edward turned on his heal and strode into the kitchen, done.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Esme knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Bella didn't spontaneously need to use the restroom, pregnancy or not. The Cullen matriarch wasted no time or words in leading them into the sitting area off the master bedroom and settling them onto the closest piece of furniture.

It was impossible not to blame herself for Rose's outburst. She'd let her son's wife get away with so much disrespect that Rosalie felt untouchable. Esme had disliked her from day one but she positively _feared_ Carlisle's mother until the day that retched woman died, bless her soul, and she didn't want to be _that_ mother in law.

Even now, when the former Hale had officially pressed her luck too far, Esme knew that she was of more use tending to Bella than she would have been down stairs in the heart of a confrontation, no matter how much her anger encouraged her to stay. She simply didn't have it in her to deal with people like that.

Rose was crass, flashy and cared little for anyone other than herself. While Esme appreciated strength in a woman she saw easily past Rosalie's bark. The pretty blonde was a weak creature and she had shown that so clearly in her encounter with Edward's delicate companion.

Aside from the situational complications, Bella was everything Esme had ever dreamt of for her sons. Carlisle had his cynical doubts, and she wouldn't want him any other way, but there were different types of love at first sight in the word and she felt her heart warm the moment she first saw Bella and Edward together. She wasn't going to let Rose chase her off, wasn't going to lose the good to the bad.

Bella didn't cry, not really. Her eyes were glossy but she was visibly holding back in the other woman's company. She just sat there, heartbroken and hurt as Esme stroked her back softly. It was almost worst. The experienced mother was used to Alice's grandiose dramatizations when she was upset. She wasn't sure she knew how to deal with a woman that was so calmly rational, so much like… Edward.

When it became clear Bella wasn't going to say anything, Esme cracked under the building pressure.

"_Please_ don't leave him, Bella… I know it was awful for him to share that with Emmett but he couldn't have known Rose would find out. He'd never do anything to you hurt on purpose. Just, please don't be angry with him. He needs you more than you know..." she rambled through her panic.

Esme winced a little when her words registered. She sounded more like the mom of a preteen, making excuses and apologies for her boy's behavior than the mother of a thirty year old doctor.

Bella eyed her wearily before shaking her head, her fingers petting the fringe of the blue throw pillow on her lap. "I'm not angry with Edward. I never meant to keep anything from all of you and I'd never ask him to hold back from his family. That's just… not how I wanted everyone to find out," she whispered.

Esme released a breath she hadn't fully realized she was holding. Most women would strike out in anger or self pity, even Esme couldn't say she'd be able to control herself if put in the same situation. Bella was a magnificent individual to be able to let go of her negative emotions.

"Surely you know that what just happened down stairs reflects a hundred times worse on Rose than it does on you…"

"I'd assume so," Bella laughed sadly, "I've just… Alice told me she was… But I've never had anyone respond so poorly to me…"

"Edward didn't tell you," his mother deduced with a sigh.

Esme felt a sting of irritation towards her usually efficient son. He had no idea how to function in a relationship and Bella was bearing the brunt of his inexperience.

"Didn't tell me what?"

"Rose has had some trouble conceiving. Actually, they've just about exhausted all their options as far as her carrying her own child goes."

"_What?" _Bella gasped, horrified. Esme took her hand to settle her.

"We hadn't expected her to act like that," she promised, "But my son should have made you aware of the situation. It wasn't fair of him to allow you to walk in blind..."

Bella's emotions finally got the better of her and she swiped furiously at her checks as the tears rolled down. Her pale skin was a glowing pink, yet still shockingly beautiful, Esme marveled. "Why wouldn't he tell me that? Does he have any idea how terrible I feel, making a scene about the baby while Rose can't… she isn't…"

"I'm pretty sure you just answered your own question, dear," Esme smiled sadly, "He's crazy about you and he's so obviously thrilled about your child. I know he wanted you two to be able to show off without feeling guilty."

"But I _should_ feel guilty. This whole situation's been so hard but Edward's made it feel so… normal. Sometimes I almost forget that my pregnancy isn't something I should be gloating about," the girl berated herself through sniffles.

Esme disagreed vehemently, "That's not fair. You have to reconcile this pregnancy in nobody's eyes but your own, Bella. You're the only person whose life has been uprooted for your child and if you can look past all of that and realize that this baby is something to be overjoyed about, then you deserve every ounce of happiness that comes to you."

"It's not only me anymore. Edward's done so much… has offered so much for our future. It's his life too and now he's down stairs fighting with his family," Bella cried into her small hands.

The two of them could, in fact, hear exceptionally tense voices wafting up the hall. Edward's words were muffled but the tone was quite clear. Someone was getting taken through the ringer. Esme got up from her seat and hastily closed the door before the noises could further upset the expecting mother.

"Yes. Well, men have biological clocks too, sweetheart," Esme muttered wryly, "And my son has ignored his for so long that it's come and smacked him right in the face."

She sat back down and gathered Bella in her arms. It felt unbelievably good to be able to nurture and comfort again and when the young woman clung to her it was clear Bella needed the connection just as badly. After a few moments, her tears started to dry.

"He doesn't know what he's doing, and frankly anything he's done correctly up until this point has been out of sheer luck." Bella giggled shakily. "But he has a great heart, especially for you, and if you can forgive him his short comings you'll have a real gem on your hands. And I'm not just saying that because he's my baby," she winked.

"I couldn't imagine him any more perfect than he already is," Bella blushed shyly, "I just wished he would have told me about this. I know its family business but-"

"You are family, dear."

"Thank you…" She smiled, "If I had know, I promise I wouldn't have been so… loud about my pregnancy. All I've done since I arrived here is provoke Rose, apparently."

Esme's warm smile disappeared at the mention of Emmett's wife. "_'Provoking'_ that woman is about as difficult as irritating a grizzly bear. Please don't make excuses for her. And _you_ might have been able to play down your enthusiasm but Carlisle and I had no intentions of doing so."

She pressed her palm to Bella's hardened bump excitedly and the two of them giggled. "And us being ecstatic over the first baby to have ever blessed our family? That's okay, too. We can still be happy for you and Edward while grieving with Emmett and Rose."

Bella nodded her hesitant acceptance.

The happily and long married woman gave the best advice she could think of to the female half of the unusual new couple.

"I don't know the exact nature of your relationship with my son, and that's okay, all Carlisle and I want is to see the two of you happy. But I think you both need to talk to each other, work on communicating instead of just co-existing. Let him know _you_, Bella Swan. Unfortunately even the most powerful chemistry isn't enough to carry a healthy relationship forever."

The young girl stared off for a moment before she acknowledged Esme's words.

"I understand. There are a lot of things I need to tell him and they really can't wait any longer."

**I know a lot of you wanted Rose to be physically beat down, and if I was writing characters a little younger, maybe I could have made that happen for you. Hope this works well enough. **

**Let me know what you guys think. **

**I have a few pages of Carlisle-Edward convo written but I wanted to get this posted sooner than I felt like finishing it. If you want it early put a little smiley face at the end of your review. As shown…**** : ] …****or any variation will work, really. lol **

**I want to offer it to you reveiwers early but I don't want to send it to someone that would like to leave a review but would prefer to wait for the conversation until I post the next full chapter. It doesn't really have any plot to it. Just Edward's thoughts after the confrontation with his brother. I'll send it out in two days to those that want it.**

**Please please please remember that if you want the seek peek and don't have an account on the site that you leave your email address with spaces in it because other wise it will delete the domain and I will only have one half of your email! **

**Thanks for reading! **


	16. Chapter 16

I'm so sorry about the wait guys. This chapter was coming along well but I got a flu that almost took me out Elizabeth Masen style. I was out of commission for a good two weeks and I honestly couldn't even stay awake long enough to write anything. I was just constantly fevered and exhausted.

Your reviews _blew me away_ last chapter so to apologize for the wait **I will promise chapter 17 in no more than 2 weeks**. Thank you so much for all your feed back.

This is a little bit of a filler chapter before a pretty big one. Hope you enjoy it anyway.

**ickaren** beta'ed this chapter. I was going to post it without but she did it literally with zero notice in just a few hours right in the middle oh her day. Can't even express how thankful I am. Really wanted to get this chapter to you today and she made it happen so this is 100% dedicated to her. She found a million mistakes so it would have been a terrible read without her. lol

**Thanks ickaren!**

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Edward wasn't sure how long he sat out on that patio before his father finally joined him. He knew that his body had been a comfortable temperature when he had first plopped down onto the lounge chair to watch the sun set over the Cullens' expansive grounds.

Now? …Now he was freezing his dick off in the dark.

He couldn't say if it had ever _really_ been warm or if it was his previously boiling blood that made it seem that way.

Carlisle took the seat next to him and handed over a freshly opened beer, the twin of the already half-drained brew he kept for himself. Edward took the translucent brown bottle and quirked a questioning brow.

"Mom letting you keep this in the house now?"

Esme thought a man with a beer was repulsively primitive. One could find just about any lavish wine in the cellar, but a six pack? Not in _her_ refrigerator.

Needless to say the Cullen men held Super Bowl at Edward's place each year.

"Nope," Carlisle answered simply, taking a deep drink. He was masculinely trying to pretend his wife's creed wasn't law in his home but Edward could see his blue eyes flash nervously toward the door. He knew that if his mother were to step outside that bottle would go flying into the bougainvilleas as fast as his father could pitch it over the railing.

"You went out and bought them? Just right now?"

"There may or may not be a few in the mini fridge in my office." Edward snorted. "I figured the two of us could use a little winding down, just one or two. You still need to get Bella home safely tonight."

Edward felt the familiar surge of anguish and dread pound into him again, like unrelenting waves, ebbing just enough to crush him more efficiently when they came rushing back. "She's not going to want to come home with me…"

"Of course she will. She doesn't seem one for grand dramatization, Edward. Bella's a reasonable girl and she'll hear you out."

Now that Edward had cooled a little he found himself more hopeful that Bella wouldn't immediately walk out on him for his lapse in judgment. After all, it was the vast differences between her and average, petty women that made him so sickeningly crazy about her in the first place. The little female had a temperament as sweet as her stunning exterior. She would at least allow him to strive for her forgiveness, even though he didn't deserve it.

It made his gut twist agonizingly to think of the pain he'd caused her. She was pregnant, and while she was far less delicate than she appeared, he'd taken responsibility for her wellbeing the moment he stood up for her outside that rundown clinic. He'd promised himself he'd care for her baby every way he knew how, but she hadn't even made it into the world yet and he had already failed her. His only priority was keeping the mother-to-be stress free and happy and he had just watched as she was blindsided by his brother's wife.

The thought of Emmett and Rose made him immediately bristle.

"I lost it in there," Edward's voice was nearly a whisper as he referenced the scene in the living room. "I couldn't stand to see her hurt. I've never felt like that before… _That_ angry."

The blonde Cullen was silent for a few moments, contemplative and subjective like the professional he was. "If someone had said those things to your mother... I know I would have felt the same way."

Edward thought that over. It was only outlandish in theory that he cared as much for Bella as his dad did for Esme after twenty plus years of marriage. In reality, he couldn't imagine ever feeling more passionately for her than he did now, no matter how much time passed. Some things you just knew, right from the beginning. She consumed every part of him, he held back nothing.

He wondered if, after just one brief month, there was still anyone left in his life worth more to him than Bella and that little baby.

"But son, what you did to Rosalie was inexcusable. I know you can't possibly mean what you said. It was _so unnecessary_ to stoop to her level when she was already doing a fine job of making herself look ridiculous all on her own. Your mother would have been heartbroken if she'd heard you talk like that."

"I know," Edward groaned. He had played the words a thousand times in his head once the rage had started to fade.

…_just so you can fail at pretending you function like a proper woman…_

He didn't even know where that had come from. He had seen so many woman, _his own mother,_ unable to conceive and had never felt anything but the utmost sympathy for their struggle. How he could utter that sentiment was beyond him. Not only was it heinously insensitive, it was entirely chauvinistic. As though a woman's worth was only in her ability to bear children. He didn't feel that way at all. If Bella had heard it… He didn't even want to consider what she'd think of him.

But with everything said and done, he only regretted the words he had said, not their result. He still couldn't get himself to feel anything but vex toward Rose and the thought of her tears still brought his weary mind the warm balm of satisfaction. If given the chance, he would have changed nothing.

Maybe… in the back of his mind he _did_ gain some form of smug fulfillment from Bella's perfection. There was no other facet of his life where he settled for mediocrity and his choice of mate was really no exception. She was unfathomably beautiful, caring but intelligent, domestic but free spirited. And, at his age, there was probably a small part of him that took pride in the fact that she was the picture of womanhood in an area where his brother's callous wife had failed.

Edward was entering a stage of life where that was important. Bella could give him children, she could literally _make him a family_ and while he hadn't even suspected that was what he wanted in his life until she entered it, now he needed it more than anything. Between the excitement shining in his mother's and Alice's eyes, and the way he felt when looking at that tiny sonogram, he wondered if he wasn't more ready for children than he had originally thought.

"It just wasn't enough, you know? Everyone in the room knew she was an embarrassment but she was still _smiling_ when Bella looked devastated. I couldn't handle it. I would have done anything, said _anything_, to make her hurt too," he confessed, the cool lip of the beer pressed against his chin as he thought aloud.

"Your words wounded your brother as well," Carlisle pointed out.

Edward took a pull from his bottle to bite back his annoyance. He was obviously still too angry to be having this conversation. "I don't want to even _think_ about him right now."

He couldn't honestly imagine ever wanting to see Emmett again. He felt used and betrayed and the closeness the two brothers had shared made the turn of events particularly acidic in Edward's mind. He didn't have many people in his life that he held dear so the loss of one left him a mess of uncertainty.

Carlisle carefully considered whether or not to press forward. Edward was far from rational when it came to defending his small female counterpart.

"That's where I'm not sure you're being entirely fair."

"You think I was too hard on him?" Edward sat upright to look at his father, baffled and a little offended.

Emmett's childlike nature appealed to their mother, but Carlisle and Edward were so close and alike in character that it was a wonder they shared no lineage. His father almost always shared his same train of thought.

The older man raised a submissive palm, "I've told you from day one that you weren't doing Emmett any favors by paying his way in life."

"I wanted my brother and sister to have the same advantages I had…" Edward said defensively, falling into the years old source of family contention.

"And that's a very genuine gesture but Emmett isn't you, he doesn't have your drive and if given the chance he'd spend the rest of his life doing nothing of importance."

"Obviously," the redhead snorted.

Before the death of the wealthy grandfather Edward never knew he had, Emmett was already struggling with work ethic. While his brother was running himself into the ground as a pre-med student, Em had already bowed out of community college after two lackluster semesters while smoking enough illegal substances to fuel the South American drug wars.

Edward didn't begrudge him his irresponsibility. Born Emmett McCarty to a physically abusive father and a complacent mother, by the time he became a Cullen he'd faced enough hardships to see him through adolescence. Esme and Carlisle refused to allow Emmett to float idly through life in the wake of the family money, no matter how much they longed to give him what he'd been denied as a child.

When Edward received the inheritance he didn't want, the tauntingly obnoxious amount of money that came too late to save his mother, he wasted no time in sharing the fortune with his new siblings.

In recent years Alice had managed to turn her allotment into a thrilling business and Emmett… he had been able to afford coveted luxuries. Like a runway wife.

And a pinball machine.

"What you've done for your brother is commendable. Your mother and I couldn't be more proud of the man you've become, son," Carlisle boasted, "But that was never the kind of help that Emmett needed."

Edward leaned back and gazed up at the stars that littered the dark above him. It would have been beautiful under other circumstances. Maybe if he had Bella out there with him, wrapped snuggly in a blanket and his warm arms.

He shrugged like he didn't care, like a man who had finally washed his hands of something unpleasant, "Well, fucking fantastic. Because I'm not offering him anything after what he did tonight. Defending that… _defending Rosalie_, after the things she said to Bella."

Carlisle leaned towards him, his precious beer forgotten and his eyes imploring the younger man to listen without fighting. "_That's_ where I don't think you're thinking clearly, Edward."

"You're fucking kidding-"

His father gave him a piercing look that demanded his attention and respect, even at age thirty, he shut up fast.

"Emmett didn't do anything to deserve the money you've been giving him but it was your gift to give and you offered it without contingency. That was your choice. Whether your brother was right or terribly and entirely wrong tonight, it's a bit dishonorable for you to withdraw your support solely because he didn't take your side against his wife.

"The fact that you've bankrolled his life should never mean that he's not allowed to speak against you, Edward. That's the danger in giving so much. You have to realize that your aid shouldn't come with expectations."

Edward's mouth opened and shut several times, his mind unable to pick out individual thoughts as they ran through at break neck speeds. He understood what Carlisle was staying, realized that it had been an unfair censoring. Like a sibling dictatorship. Even still, he couldn't reconcile the realization with his anger.

"He said the baby wasn't mine. That I shouldn't be happy because she wasn't mine," he breathed.

As the words the escaped him, he knew. He knew that of all the things said that night, those words had hurt him the most. They'd blown on the flame of his own insecurities while belittling the ties he actually shared with Bella and the little one.

The thought that there was a man out there who could come and take everything away from him was petrifying. Someone who would have the same color eyes and pretty locks as Bella's child.

Carlisle's face softened. "As I said, I don't think anything he told you was right or acceptable. I know from experience that it's possible to be profoundly proud of a child you didn't help create," he grinned pointedly at his son, "But you can't blame him for standing behind the woman he married."

"The hell I can't…"

"What if it was Bella?" his father interrupted, stating the question in a way that would resonate through Edward's need to protect. "What if she had said something terrible under duress? Even if you knew she was wrong, feeling the way you do about her now, would you be able to sit back and allow Emmett to speak to her the way you did to Rose?"

Edward grew quiet. His answer was clear to both of them.

"You didn't give him the opportunity to handle the situation any other way and he felt cornered. Honestly, son. I'd be incredibly disappointed in Emmett if he hadn't supported his wife, even though she was acting deplorably. It's just what a man does when he's in love," Carlisle finished gently.

Edward didn't say anything and the two of them went back to drinking their contraband in compatible silence.

He knew now how true his father's point was. A man in love would do anything for his woman. Even turn his back on his brother.

Even still he couldn't bring himself to even _want_ to forgive his male sibling. There were only one and a half people he would be providing for from there on out, and neither of them were Cullens.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

When the two Cullen men came inside via the kitchen doors, Edward's sinuses were overwhelmed by a stomach churning smell. Carlisle acknowledged his son's distasteful expression with a sheepish grin.

"I burnt dinner. Apparently when Esme accompanied Bella upstairs she was expecting me to listen for the timer."

Edward snickered. "Mom passed the buck. She couldn't take responsibility for that mess and ruin her track record."

"I burn things all the time. I just slip the worst pieces onto Emmett's plate. My boy doesn't even notice…" Esme waved her hand casually as she slipped in from the living room.

Edward's heart felt like it was beating in his throat when he heard Bella's soft giggle follow his mother in. He had needed space to cool off after dealing with his brother but he never should have left her alone for so long.

She _looked_ a hundred percent better, cheeks flushed and eyes bright. Her gaze found him immediately and his fear of her possible anger dissipated when she smiled warmly. A moment later she was in his arms and his fingers were in her long brown hair and he didn't even care that his parents were watching them as he pressed his lips against hers because, how could he? With her smiling that way.

"I'm so sorry, darling," he breathed, his cheek resting against the top of her head. "That never should have happened. _I _never should have _let_ that happen."

He knew he should offer her some physical space, give her the option of rejecting him without having to peel him off her like a leach, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He anchored her tiny body to his chest with a firm palm on the small of her back.

She glanced over at Esme and Carlisle and flushed at their awed staring. Having been caught, both looked away quickly, Edward's father making a move for Bella's forgotten carrot cake while his wife countered him with a smack to the hand and a '_not before you eat real food_' interception.

The lovely girl laughed beautifully and lifted her hand to brush Edward's terrorized red locks away from his face.

"It's alright. Promise. There's nothing to be sorry about," she soothed, stretching to the very tips of her toes to deliver a chaste kiss he still had to bend forward to receive.

The smitten man was almost dizzy with relief but still managed to argue. "It most certainly _isn't_ alright, Isabella, but I can promise it'll never happen again," he vowed, holding her a little tighter, "I won't let them anywhere near you…"

She paled, "They're your family, Edward. I don't want to come between you. It was a misunderstanding," she whispered in a soft tone that hid her panic from his parents.

He scoffed. He didn't want to wound her further by insisting that Rosalie had nothing but malicious intent when she said those things to Bella, but he was more than certain that it was no _misunderstanding_. She was so innocently sweet, never seeing the bad in people. He was in no hurry to ruin that quality.

He kissed her forehead, perhaps a touch patronizingly, and made a show of trying to smooth the worry lines between her brows with the pad of his thumb until she gave in and cracked a smile.

"We can talk about this later. You've been through more than enough for one night." He gazed down at the pretty little thing anxiously and ran a gentle hand over her belly. "I want to take you home, Bella."

She might not have been angry but he could have very well lost her trust and that would hurt him just as much.

He felt like he was going to throw up and pass out at the same time when Bella looked awkward and uncertain.

"Um, I'm-" she pulled her plump pink bottom lip between her teeth.

The words starting flowing from his mouth before she could continue. "Baby, please," he breathed, his handsome face pained, "I'm so sorry for telling Emmett about—God, you have _no_ idea how terrible I feel. But I had only known you for a day and—I know that's not an excuse because it still wasn't my place to say anything... I was just confused. I already knew how special you were to me but I didn't realize you'd be… _everything_ to me and—"

Bella's eyes were wide and her cheeks a deep red. Esme was moments away from ecstatic tears and Carlisle was seizing the opportunity by grabbing himself a particularly thick piece of cake.

"Edw-"

She opened her mouth to interrupt him but he shook his head frantically and kept talking. He wasn't going to let her tell him she didn't want him before he did his best to plead with her.

"I know that it was inexcusable and unethical, and you were hurt. I was an idiot, but please _don't leave me_. I need you home and safe, where I can take care of both of you. I'll do anything to make it up to you, sweetheart. Just give me another chance."

Bella's lids fluttered softly and she let out a shaky breath that, perplexingly, held a hint of a laugh.

"Edward, I was trying to say that I'm _starving_ and Alice just left to pick up take out…" she cupped his jaw with her warm hand, smirking with sparkling eyes, "Can we go home after we eat?"

Edward blinked vacantly, several notches past embarrassment.

Carlisle chortled around a mouthful of dessert, his blue eyes watering as he struggled to choke it down. "That was real smooth, son. _Subtle_," he coughed.

Bella grinned at the Cullen patriarch and he visibly melted just a little more under her charm.

Edward groaned, mortified. "Jesus…"

"I thought it was perfect. If I was angry with you at all that totally would have won me over," Bella declared, consoling him and teasing him simultaneously.

"_And_ fantastic… I forgot to feed my pregnant girlfriend," he muttered, moving the conversation right along like he hadn't just outed his absurd level of devotion.

"S'why we never got you a dog," Carlisle muttered, wincing when he was backhanded by his wife's small but forceful hand.

Esme chipped in with a mother's unquenchable need to defend her son. "Don't listen to my husband, dear. Edward's great with animals and babies," she smiled at the girl reassuringly.

None of them, of course, had any clue if the latter was even true, there had been only a handful of times Edward was around a child that wasn't very newly born, but her maternal confidence was flattering. Her son gave her a grateful smirk.

"Your mom's been trying to marry you off all night. I swear if I hold out a little longer she'll start offering cash incentives…" Bella whispered conspiratorially into his ear.

Edward snorted and pressed another kiss onto her forehead. "That sounds about right."

Esme used to try to set him up with any decent looking creature capable of giving her grandbabies. He'd brushed all of them off after the first awkward set up. Edward could only imagine the things she'd be willing to do to win over the woman he actually wanted.

"Don't make her wait too long, though," he said shyly, teasing, "She's wanted this for a very long time…"

He laughed when her face flushed from her roots to her chin but noticed her base was a queasy looking green. Edward ran the back of his finger across her cheek, his brows furrowing with concern.

"What's wrong, love?"

She offered a weak smile. "The burnt smell is kind of unsettling my stomach."

Edward beamed. He splayed his hand over her small tummy and gave her a playful rub, "She doesn't like blackened casserole any more than I do."

"He," Bella corrected, second nature.

"What's that?" Edward asked suddenly.

"I said h-"

"Not you," he cut her off with a finger to her lips. The handsome man bent at his waist, amused green eyes locked with her brown ones as he pointed his ear closer to her belly and pretended to listen carefully.

He straightened up and shook his head sadly. "Hmm…_Yeah_… she really doesn't appreciate it when you call her that, mom. Says boys are clearly inferior creatures."

Bella's breath hitched, her expression stunned for a full moment. He very much wanted to play all the sweet games that the typical expecting couple got to enjoy, yearned to make her happy, but it was possible that she just wasn't ready for that. While she'd accepted her child, he realized that the built in stigmas that kept her from reveling in her pregnancy were still holding her back.

He watched uncertainly as flashes of strong emotions ran across her perfect face; embarrassment, fear, excitement and finally amusement as she smiled coyly.

She joked back, timid, "She said that, right to your face? That's not very nice. I mean… _it's true_, but still a bit rude."

He made a face, "She wasn't talking about me."

"No?"

He pressed back his nervousness and said exactly what he wanted to.

"_Daddies_ are exceptions, always," Edward stated, tone far more serious than the comment called for under normal circumstances.

It felt good to claim possession out loud, to stop beating around the bush. The worst thing that could happen would be that Bella simply corrected and reminded that he wasn't the father, which upon second thought, would be pretty fucking devastating.

To his elation Bella's lips were pressed furiously against his not a half a breath later, her thin arms wrapping like a vice around his neck, cutting off his air in the best possible way. There was so much relief and gratitude in her embrace, she didn't need to use words to tell him that she would accept what he was so willing to give. He once again affirmed that he was all in.

He enjoyed her acceptance almost as much as he enjoyed the feel of her soft body and perfect curves pressed against him. His hands slipped down to her hips of their own accord and it wasn't until he heard his mother giggle uncontrollably that he realized he was gently groping her in his parents' kitchen.

Bella blushed when they broke away, though her sweet smile stayed firmly planted.

He grinned over at the snoops unapologetically and grabbed hold of her hand. "Come on, love. Lets get you both away from the smell."

Cullen family dinner _Take 2_ went much better than the previous. Alice came in with Chinese and Bella was off like a rocket, Edward didn't see her again until she had served herself a generous mound of food on her plate.

Alice shuffled up to her brother with far less confidence than the tiny woman usually possessed.

"I'm so sorry, Edward. Please don't hate me," she whimpered.

He frowned, not sure what it was she had done to be issuing an apology. Luckily, most conversations with Ali were one sided. He always wondered if she even cared whether the person she was talking at actually paid attention to what she was saying or if she was simply lulled by the sound of her own voice.

"I know I was goading her but I never expected her to snap at Bella like that. I shouldn't have interfered but, you know, I can't stand her. She thinks she's so much better than every one and I just wanted to—"

Edward understood why she looked so guilty then. She had been the one to press Edward about the sonograms, subsequently pushing Rose to her breaking point. Alice was technically an adult but some times she was just a little girl still, wanting to spite her rival. The result of all the men in her life treating her like she was still just a baby.

He should have been angry with her for playing with everyone's emotions so immaturely but technically that was Emmett's place to feel wronged. She hadn't meant to hurt Edward's mate but had been attempting to wound Rosalie in the worst possible way. Bella's embarrassment had been an unexpected, and unwanted byproduct. Plus, he couldn't stay angry with his baby sister if he wanted to.

Alice was still rambling.

"—my friend, one of my only friends to be honest, and you have to believe it was never my intention. _You just have to_," she looked up at him timidly with moist eyes.

He squirmed uncomfortably. He loved his sister but he was just plain awful at catering to an emotional woman and she wasn't his Bella.

He patted her head like a puppy. "It's, uh, not really me you should be apologizing to, is it, Ali?" he gestured to Bella through the kitchen archway.

Edward rolled his eyes and grumbled when he saw his father fluttering around her, enthusiastically serving her from whatever food container she pointed to. Apparently Carlisle wasn't as good at staying objective as he thought he was. He was a sucker for a pretty face and Bella was about as pretty as they come. Pathetically smitten.

"I already told Bella how sorry I am," Alice insisted softly, "But she couldn't be angry with someone if her life depended on it. It's my _stubborn_ big brother that holds the grudges…" She couldn't help getting a jab in, even when trying to prove remorseful.

Edward grinned indulgently and flicked her button nose.

She yelped and glared.

"We're alright, _little girl_. I can't expect a rational person to anticipate an irrational response. You couldn't have known Rose would act out like that," he reasoned.

She nodded appreciatively. "Still… It's a bit like poking a _big, stupid dog_ with a stick and not excepting it to go for the easiest target first. I feel awful."

"If Bella can forgive you then so can I," he puffed up proudly.

Alice arched a brow at him, "Is that how you operate now? What Bella says goes? Because she mentioned a shopping trip in LA this weekend. Her, me, your credit card…"

"Will you cut that shit out?" he hissed, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Bella hadn't overheard.

Between her plans for New York and her joking about weekends in Los Angeles Edward was ready to ban her from all contact with Bella. He knew he wouldn't be able to swing that much time off work and the idea of her leaving him for any length of time was already making him nuts. If Bella got her heart set on a trip out of Seattle he wouldn't be able to deny her.

He could beg her to stay but he'd just end up looking like an ass. Again.

"Oh… Me and Bella are _so_ going nursery shopping in New York, you'd better get that through you head right now," Alice straightened her spine like she wasn't five-foot-nothing with heels on, stating her non-negotiable truth.

"Alright. Then I'm going too," he bluffed, "Still sound like a good time?"

Her face fell, "No. That doesn't sound like any fun at all," she sighed, "I better start looking online…"

"You do that."

Bella bounced up with two plates of food, pleased as punch.

"Whoa, sweetheart. You gonna' eat _all that_?" Edward marveled stupidly, a little impressed.

The small brunette glared. "One of them was for you but now Alice gets it. Hope you're happy."

"Score!" His sister flitted in and made off with her stolen plate before Edward could strong-arm it away from her.

He sulked off to fix himself his own, less special, assortment of Chinese food.

Bella's attendance brightened his time with his family just as much as it did every other part of his day. He never really felt comfortable in the quaint, affectionate household the Cullens provided but watching her fit in a hundred times more easily than he ever did filled him with a warm sense of gratification. She was _his, _part of the family because _he_ found her and they all just adored her.

She was a missing piece for him, the buffer he never knew he needed, and instead of counting the seconds until it was socially acceptable to leave, he found himself actively involved in conversations he would have otherwise shied away from.

Everything she had ever told him about her past hinted at her being a bit of a wallflower, and though he found her shyness endearing, he hoped that the energy between them worked both ways. That maybe his presence made her the best she could be too.

It was Carlisle who monopolized most of her conversation. It seemed as though once he found out that Bella was genuinely intelligent and her life's most successful endeavor would far exceed her partnership with Edward, he couldn't get enough of her.

The only glitch in the evening came from a relatively innocent question.

"So Bella, when do you think you're going to get back in school?" Carlisle wanted to know.

Edward's ear perked up as he waited for her response.

Bella smiled, almost sadly, and pushed the rest of her food across her plate with the tip of her fork, "I'm not really sure. I don't know anyone with kids but I hear they're time consuming," she joked. "As soon as I feasibly can."

"Dartmouth, again? That's a fantastic school, Bella," Alice chimed in like she knew anything about non fashion universities.

Edward frowned, that campus was on the other side of the country.

"No, it probably won't be Dartmouth. Their course load is like a full time job. I wouldn't be able to manage that with an actual job and still put being a uh, _mom_… first." The word stuck in her mouth awkwardly, like she wasn't used to saying it out loud yet. "And I honestly couldn't even afford the _books_ for their classes without that alumni grant," she laughed.

"Maybe you can take up as a part time student at UW while you figure out what works for you," Esme suggested, "It's a lovely school, dear."

In retrospect, he _knew_ he should have held his tongue, but he _just_ _couldn't do it._

"I don't understand why she'd have to go back to school at all," Edward mumbled, "We don't need the money and she shouldn't have to make things harder on herself than they already will be, with a new baby at home."

Edward's college years had been a monumental pain. He had worked himself to the bone and didn't fit in with his classmates. The superiorly intelligent young boy didn't participate in the gratuitous sex, recreational drug use, or binge drinking that fueled the college experience for everyone around him and had thrown himself into his academic accomplishments to cover his misery. When he got his unexpected inheritance, it was only his drive to make Carlisle proud that had kept him motivated at all.

He couldn't fathom why Bella would want to do that if she didn't have to and wasn't about to ask it of her. For all the work he had battled through, surely he'd earned the right to spare his partner the ordeal. He had more than enough money for Bella to do whatever she pleased and not have to be away from the child to fulfill silly requirements. Additionally, the thought of Bella attending classes with a bunch of hormonal, constantly prowling boys her own age made him yearn to punch something.

Of course he was entitled to his own opinion, but the moment he'd uttered it aloud in front of feminist sister, his professionally successful mother, and the woman he was trying to tie down after a mere month long relationship, he realized the merit of a verbal filter.

Everyone's mouth dropped with shock but naturally it was Alice that found her voice first.

"What the fuck is this? The nineteen fifties?" she waved her hand dismissively at the family's guest, "_Bella_, go fetch my brother his slippers and a pipe," she cackled, slapping her knee as she rocked on the dinning room chair.

His ears tinted pink, "What I meant to say is that the 'college experience' isn't all its cracked up to be and the only reason to attend aside from that would be to better her position," he regarded his sister coolly, "Financially she's in a very stable spot as it is. With me."

He would take care of her, always. He looked over at her, nervous he may have offended, but she just looked surprised. When she met his gaze she smiled softly back and gave his hand a squeeze under the table. She understood.

Alice balked, "Oh… So being your girlfriend is the highest possible honor for a pretty girl, is it? _You_ pompous doucheb-"

"So, dear," Esme interrupted with nonsensical volume but her same sugary tone, "Are you seeing anyone special?" she glanced up at her daughter.

Edward snickered when his attacker turned on their mother incredulously.

"_Seriously_?" Alice screeched, "He's all squared away and now you're going to start hounding me about my love life?"

"Just wait until she invites you out to lunch under the guise of quality time and shows up with one of her book club friends and their single daughter," Edward shivered, "Like that wasn't uncomfortable _at all_."

"I just want to see my kids happy," the meddling mother hummed unapologetically. She beamed at Bella like the girl was the answer to her every prayer.

"I am happy, mom. I have an electric blanket and a vibrator. I could easily go my whole life and never need a man."

Bella nearly choked on a piece of sweet and sour chicken at Alice's crass words. Edward rubbed circles across her small back.

"That's my girl," Carlisle praised. He, like his son, would be happy if the only Cullen daughter never let anything with a penis near her. No one was good enough.

Esme rolled her pretty hazel eyes. "That's not all men are good for," she reached over and ran her fingers through her husbands blond locks indulgently, "Your father is the best spider killer around, right sweetheart? Eight legged abominations..." she shivered, "I don't know what I'd do without him."

"Can of Raid works just fine," Alice simpered, "Though, I've accidently inhaled so much of that stuff over the years that it's fused with my blood stream. If a bug even _thinks_ about biting me it drops dead."

Bella cleared her throat softly, "Actually, we know someone I think you'd really like..."

Edward's body went rigid. _She_ _wouldn't_. He tried to get her attention but she was looking everywhere but at him. The tiny traitor.

"No we don't! We don't know anybody," he stuttered.

Alice's eyes sparkled when she sensed Edward's reluctance. Anyone she could date to make her constantly teasing big brother uncomfortable was A-okay in her book.

She smiled sweetly at Bella. "Really, Bella? You'll have to tell me more about him at work tomorrow. It might be nice to have an organic spider killer around my apartment after all…"

She stuck her tongue out at Edward discretely.

"You're in so much trouble," he muttered under his breath in a voice that wouldn't carry past Bella.

She grinned up at him bashfully with liquid brown eyes. Out of control gorgeous. He wasn't fooling anyone. The only one who was in trouble was him.

A trait she claimed started with her pregnancy, Bella got hopelessly sleepy after she'd enjoyed a filling meal. Though they were having a great time, when she started to yawn excessively and her little eyes were beginning to glaze slightly, Edward knew it was time to get her home.

They said their goodbyes and made fervent promises for another dinner very soon, before he wrapped her up in his coat and they made their way happily out to the car.

After an emotionally draining night, the couple enjoyed a few moments of compatible silence as Edward got them started on their journey home.

He reached over and held her hand in her lap when she released a long, kittenish yawn. "You can sleep if you'd like, love. I'll wake you when we get there."

He saw her shake her head out of the corner of his eye. "I'll make it. It's a long drive. I don't want you to be lonely."

Edward laughed, "I could never be lonely with you by my side, Bella. It doesn't matter if we're talking or not."

"Your mom says we need to work on our communication skills," she admitted softly.

He sat up a little straighter, defensive, "I think we communicate just fine."

"That's what you get for thinking," she giggled and squeezed his hand to ease his tension, "But seriously, we—_I_ have a lot that I should tell you before we go any further."

The hairs on the back of his neck prickled ominously. In truth he didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to hear about her with anyone else or even much about the life she left behind. He loved _this_ Bella, the one that was all his. He'd never felt jealousy before she came into his life but now it was nearly consuming him and the fact was, she _had_ been with someone else. Someone that she wasn't comfortable raising a child with and that bothered him, that she'd give someone undeserving such an honor.

He swallowed loudly. "Soon alright? I put you through so much tonight. I just want you to relax now."

"Tomorrow," Bella declared. "But I'm _not_ the only one who needs to speak up. I had no idea you wanted me to stay home with the baby until you announced it in front of your family," she said an accusatory tone.

Ideally, that was exactly what he wanted. To know that she was safe at home when he had to be away at work. But he knew that wouldn't turn out well from those first miserable days Bella spent in his absence, before he arranged her a job with Alice. She'd have the baby, but he suspected that would be the quickest recipe for depression ever written for a young woman. One part loneliness, one part screaming newborn.

He sighed, "I didn't say you had to stay at home, love. You can do anything you want. You love to cook… I can help you open a restaurant if you'd like…" he threw out as an example. "I meant that you don't _have_ to do anything. College, well it sucked for me, for lack of a better word. I don't want you rushing back to school because you feel you have to.

"I promised I'd take care of both of you, and I will."

She was quiet for a moment and he began to grow nervous. Perhaps the sentiment didn't translate like he hoped. Once he was stopped at a light he glanced over to find a contemplative expression on her face, her teeth terrorizing her bottom lip.

"Why are you going to stop paying for your brother's things?" she asked out of the blue.

"Who told you about that?" he asked, irritated.

"Who do you think?"

_Fucking Alice. _

He groaned, wishing he'd had more time to think this over. The last thing he wanted was for her to think she'd been the cause of some kind of rift in his family.

"Him and his wife are useless and lazy and its time they start pulling their own weight," he told her a half truth. _And they'd hurt her. He'd never let anyone hurt her and get away with it. _

She shifted uncomfortably in the seat next to him. "If I keep letting you pay for everything, I don't see the difference between me and him…" she confessed in a shame-filled whisper.

Edward's heart broke. It felt like he couldn't manage to say anything right when it came to her. He would likely give her whip lash with mixed signals like that one.

"_Bella_," he implored, "You can't _possibly_ believe it's the same thing."

"Well no… It's not. I mean, he's your brother and I'm just some girl you've known for a month. Its actually worse, what I'm doing," she squeaked, "I—you mean a lot to me and I don't want you to resent me too."

"You're not _some girl_. You've never just been that to me," he almost growled, "I've known a lot of '_some girls_' and I've never felt for them what I do for you. I paid Emmett's way because I thought I was doing my brother a favor, which I wasn't, by the way. You have no idea how much satisfaction I get out of making sure you're taken care of. The two situations are entirely incomparable."

"I don't know…" she said uncertainly.

He released her hand to run his up and down her arm tenderly, "Bella, I meant it when I said I'd never really had a woman in my life before. I don't know how to act. Since the moment I met you I've just been doing what _feels right_, what makes me happy. And taking care of you and the baby… it feels _incredible_. I'm going to keep doing it for as long as I possibly can."

He couldn't look away from the road but he could almost sense her smile, like her emotions where directly linked to his own. His happiness dependant on hers.

"I don't know what I'd do without you. Not just the financial support, least of all that, actually. But, well, I wasn't in a good place until you found me."

He had to laugh, "I wasn't either, darling."

Despite her determination to stay awake the pretty girl was out like a light within ten minutes of leaving his parents' house. Edward chuckled fondly and slung his arm across the back of her seat to stroke her hair as she napped.

She was so unfathomably beautiful to him when she slept, he almost wished he could pull over to get a good look at her. When Bella rested, her perfect features held none of the worry or slight sadness she carried around with her. Aside from her breathtaking smile, it was his favorite sight. Even though she looked sexier than sin in that dress tonight he truthfully considered it gilding the lily. She was flawless _without_ the lovely fashions his sister forced her into.

Much to his amusement, she was snoring with some substantial volume by the time he pulled the car into their driveway. He didn't park in the garage, but stopped right up against the house because not one part of him had any intentions of waking her up.

Edward left her in the still heated car while he went to unlock and open the back door before quietly going back to retrieve her. She barely stirred when he lifted her slight frame into his arms, bridal style, only hissing softly in annoyance. He grinned.

With a small and unconvincing dose of guilt, Edward carried her to the same place he did the last time he had his small companion incapacitated in his arms… his master bedroom. He didn't want to be away from her after the night they'd had. Technically, he _never_ wanted to be away from her but he didn't have the nerve to make his request when she wasn't out cold or delirious with fever.

He toed his shoes off carefully in the kitchen so his steps wouldn't ring harshly across the hardwood floors. Bella curled into his warmth like a child, burrowing her nose under his jaw.

He lowered her with painstaking tenderness onto the bed and looked her over uncertainly. Surely she wouldn't sleep in that dress under ideal circumstances but it didn't look unreasonably uncomfortable by any means. He wasn't about to strip her down without her permission so he decided removing her shoes would do for the night.

Edward slipped each of the silver flats off her tiny feet, pausing to rub gingerly on a reddened heel, a sign of first time wear. Bella whimpered and he immediately dropped her ankle, making a mental note to check and tend to any blisters she might have in the morning.

He pulled the comforter over her and tucked her in carefully. Only when he was satisfied with the cocoon of warmth he had encased her in did he settle by her side, over the blankets and with every stitch of clothing he'd worn that day.

He was sure he'd gotten away with his capturing his overnight guest when one of Bella's big brown eyes popped open.

"How long have you been awake?" he grinned sheepishly.

Bella giggled with a heavy amount of sleep in her voice, "Not long. Only since you started terrorizing my feet."

He draped an arm across her and scooted close, less hesitant now that she was awake to rebuff him if she was so inclined.

"Is this ok?"

"More than okay," she hummed and fused herself to his side.

Her eyes fluttered closed when he started running the tip of his finger across her cheeks, the bridge of her nose… her eyelids. Perfect.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've every seen…" he breathed.

When her cheeks didn't heat like a wild fire he knew she'd fallen back to sleep. He smiled into her long brown waves.

Edward estimated it to be an hour later, but it was probably closer to two or three, when realized he was still wide awake by her side. Like they often did, one of his hands found its way to her belly and was gently stroking the length of it.

It felt so good to hold her close that he quite simply didn't want to sleep through it.

Bella stirred against him, mumbling incomprehensibly. He listened closely, always eager for a look into her inner workings.

"_Jake_."

He felt like he'd been punched.

Seconds later he was shaking her awake. He had to know. Right then. He needed her to tell him that 'Jake' was her childhood dog or the fucking eighty year old neighbor, _anything_ to make the jealousy burning through him go away. Something about that name irked him like nothing he'd ever experienced before.

"Bella. Bella, wake up… Please…" he coaxed her uneasily.

She groaned and batted her hand in all directions. He would have felt bad if there was any room left in him for lesser emotions.

"Baby, please wake up."

She blinked at him with eyes that were too weak to even face the light of the moon streaming through the window, narrowed and strained. "Edward, what's wrong?"

_Edward_.

It helped to hear her say his name. Even if she was dreaming of another man she at least knew whose arms she was sleeping in.

He pulled her into a sitting position against his chest. "Bella, who's Jake?"

"How—"

"Your sleep. You talk in your sleep. Please just tell me. I need to know," he begged, holding her close.

It might have been her sleep muddled mind or the desperation in his voice but she answered quickly and honestly without another question.

"He was my high school sweetheart. We were engaged."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

AN: Update in 2 weeks. It's going to be all Bella's story. I think most of you will be surprised though.

Drop me a review and let me know what you think!


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: All Twilight characters and core personality traits are the property of SM. I own nothing, nor do I plan on profiting from using her work. No copyright infringement is intended.

AN: This is a week late. I'm crazy sorry about that. I had midterms last week, which weren't so bad, but I was working on the chapter off and on while I was writing my term paper. I had about 4,000 words when I lost everything because I had too many programs running on my laptop and it, predictably in hindsight, crashed on me. Oh man, I was so disheartened. You remember everything you wrote but getting yourself to write it out all over again is like the hardest thing in the world. I hope everyone forgives me because I couldn't even get myself to look at it for a few days. This chapter is another long one so hopefully that makes up for it a little bit.

**Nise7465 **beta'ed this for us, once again. As many of you probably already know, she's fantastic. She's also extremely fun to message. I think we should encourage her to write her pack of Weimaraners into one of her stories. They're a hoot. Read her stuff if you aren't doing so already. **Impact** is blowing up over there. Get in on it a find out what all the fuss is about.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Edward felt a genuine stab of anger directed at the small woman in his lap for the first time since she'd taken hold of his life. Until then she'd been the exception to his general irritation when dealing with others. He couldn't fathom how she could be so cruel and careless with his feelings, _his family's feelings_. His mouth went dry and his lungs were clenching painfully, hindering the flow of air.

"Bella…" he whispered, voice thick with the anguish he felt at her admission. After the night's events he thought she knew how he felt, how seriously invested he was in what they had, "How could you do that to me?" he wanted to know.

He wanted to push her away but his body wouldn't allow it. He kept his arms firmly wrapped around her, if anything his grip grew tighter, even as he stared accusingly.

She looked at him, devastatingly beautiful eyes full of panic. "Edward, me and Jake are done… I swear I haven't seen him since I left home," she promised.

He knew that of course. Bella had been with either him or his sister since she came to live at the house. It wasn't his attachment to her that he was referring to. She'd allowed him to believe that he would be able to play a roll in her child's life, that the baby could be his in every way but the obvious if he proved himself deserving. He had assumed that its biological father was a one night stand or someone equally as insignificant, someone that wouldn't care if they were freed from the responsibility of fatherhood…

"But you let me- I thought… I can't do that, Bella," he told her solemnly, "I adore you but I can't raise a child that could be taken away from me one day, out of the blue. I wouldn't survive it."

He was positive. Even now he felt like the loss had left a hole in his chest. He couldn't imagine it years down the line, after he'd watched the child grow up in his home, raised the little boy or girl like it was his own… like he apparently had no right to.

Bella blanched, "What are you talking about?"

"Its one thing if he was a stranger, someone that wouldn't fucking care, but you can't just take off with your fiancé's child and let someone else pretend they're its father… That shit doesn't fucking stay a secret forever, sweetheart. You didn't leave the country, we only live _four fucking hours_ away," he groaned.

Entirely without his permission his mind started bouncing around the possibility of a long distance move. He'd like to see them try and find his new little family in, say… Alaska.

Her eyes softened with recognition, relief, "God, Edward… The baby isn't Jake's. He would have wanted him and you _have to know_ I'd never have let you get attached to a child that belonged to someone else…"

Edward blinked. His hand subconsciously shot to her belly; rubbing it reverently like he and the child were being reunited after being traumatically torn apart.

"You mean she's not his?" he clarified, "You didn't leave Forks to leave him…"

Bella's lids closed tight. "I did, among other things, just not for the reasons you were thinking."

He frowned, wondering what she could have meant by that. The answer didn't hit him for a few moments, simply because he hadn't considered her capable of such a thing. "You cheated…" he surmised.

It should have made him uneasy, that she would do something like that to a man she had agreed to marry, but instead it filled him with a guilty sense of glee. He knew it would eat away at him, that she had been tied to someone else so intimately. Even though he was a decade older than her, and had taken many sexual partners, he was a little proud that his heart had been entirely saved for her. Even joining his life thirty years in, Bella would never have to contend with the ghost of an ex-wife, or even an ex-girlfriend. It was ironic that his much younger partner would have his very own predecessor for _him_ to follow.

It was one thing to have a child with another man, that came from an act he had engaged in numerous times without any attachment to his partner, agreeing to become someone's wife, though... _That_ was only derived out of love. She had _loved_ someone else.

But if she had strayed, it must not have been the unbreakable bond marriage implied. The fucker couldn't make her happy and she had gone elsewhere.

Edward was positive he could keep her happy, always. _He'd_ be the one that got to keep her.

She nodded, shamefaced.

"And the real, eh, father?" he had to know…

She didn't look at all spiteful or guarded at this question, shrugging almost nonchalantly, "Is a really great guy. He knows, Edward. I wouldn't take a child away from someone that wanted it. I told him and he chose not to be involved. I might as well have made this little one all by myself." She put her hand on her bump, lacing her fingers through Edward's when they got in her way.

His mind flashed to the day he found her and wondered how anyone could possibly _choose_ to abandon an angel like Bella. He hadn't even been able to walk away from her after a twenty minute meeting. Her having his child, intentionally or not, would have been the best thing that ever happened to him.

"_Fucking asshole_," he muttered.

She shook her head, "_Not_ an asshole. He's just nineteen and made the decision that he wasn't ready to be a father with a girl he'd been with once. I have nothing respect for him letting the baby go if he knew he wouldn't have done him any justice. In a lot of ways, I have a great deal of guilt about the way things played out between him and me."

Edward's interest peaked, "He'd been with once? Darling, how did all of this happen…?"

Bella groaned and slumped into him, as though the mere thought exhausted her. The attractive redhead leaned in to kiss her lips and reassure her, nuzzling his straight nose into her neck. He settled himself in to listen.

"I don't know, it was such a mess... Everything was such a mess."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Bella leaned the back of the old wooden chair against the kitchen wall, only two of its legs rooted to the linoleum floor in the most unsafe application of Charlie's furniture imaginable. The pale beauty fiddled with the off-white phone cord like a lazy house cat, pulling the rope tight until the curls where gone before allowing it to spring back into shape by releasing it quickly. She held the receiver to her ear but had participated in some variation of the current conversation so many times that it required a truly scant amount of her attention.

"-I don't want to watch you make the same mistakes I did."

She rolled pretty brown eyes, "Gez, thanks, mom."

"Oh sweetie, you know I don't mean you…"

"Maybe not, but then you're talking about my dad so can you cool it? I know you're just trying to help but you're teetering on the cusp of offensiveness."

If it was as easy as just guilt tripping Renee into dropping things, she'd have significantly more time on her hands. The woman had the attention span of a gerbil but somehow pulled out incredible endurance when it came to pestering her only child.

"Well if that _father_ of yours is allowing this kind of thing then I reserve the right to speak about him however I want," her mother's voice snipped.

Bella's parents got along just fine normally, with only a small amount of general awkwardness, but Renee had a bone to pick with her ex-husband as of late.

"Dad isn't _allowing_ anything. He's supporting the decision of his _adult_ daughter and so should you. I'm nineteen, and I've never done a thing in my life unless I thought it out carefully. This is no exception."

She deeply resented that she was allowed to grow up so fast but was now being denied the courtesy of some confidence in her choices. Her mother had never faulted her decision making skills when she was practically raising herself, but was suddenly extremely interested in issuing her maternal guidance.

Renee sighed because there was little use in arguing that, "I know baby but I just wish… I feel like if you had gone straight to Dartmouth right after you graduated last year you wouldn't be doing this. You just need some distance from that boy."

"I didn't find all the financial aid I needed last year. I would have had to come up with thirty-five grand out of pocket and that wasn't going to happen. I had no choice but to defer my acceptance." It's not like Renee had put a dime away for her daughter's education.

"And it just happened to give your boyfriend an extra year to graduate and come with you…" her mother accused.

Jake was packing up and following Bella to New Hampshire. They'd already found housing off campus and Bella had put just about all her extra savings into the security deposit and first month's rent so it would be theirs come fall.

"He's already signed up for community college over there, mom. He's excited too…"

Jake was happy when Bella was happy.

"He's not the type of boy that goes away to school, honey. Just like your dad… He had no intention of leaving that little town."

"I know that."

"Then why-"

"Because he's doing it anyway. _For me_. He's going to leave his dad, his friends, his life just _for me_, mom. Just so I don't have to be alone. If all he asks for in return is a sign of commitment I'm going to give it to him."

Bella looked down at the proudest, tiniest, diamond ring there ever was, glinting modestly on her left hand. She knew Jake had saved up every cent that wasn't needed to feed him and his wheelchair bound father and couldn't help but giggle at how pleased he was with himself when he presented it too her.

She was defending her decision to become engaged whole heartedly now that she was committed but it hadn't always been that way. She had fought Jake tooth and nail when he first suggested it. Had vehemently refused until she realized how much it meant to him. In the end she reminded herself that it was just a ring and a promise her heart had already made.

"Alone? Honey, you wouldn't be all alone at school. There are lots of other kids. You'd make friends…"

Bella had tried not to address this issue but was finding it pretty unavoidable. She tried her best not to sound completely pathetic, "Mom, I'm not you. I'm not good with people, can't walk in a room and meet a dozen new friends. When I first left to come live with Dad it was _really hard_ for me. I didn't feel like I fit in and I didn't have anyone to talk to like I had always talked to you…"

"Oh baby-"

"No. I'm not trying to make you feel bad. I don't regret letting you be with Phil and getting to know my dad, but I don't want to do that again. I don't want to move somewhere and not know anyone for a second time."

Renee was quite for a few beats. Bella hoped she hadn't made her feel guilty. She'd worked really hard in those early months to hide how miserable she was from her mother, not one to project her negative emotions into other people's lives.

"But _marriage_, Bella? Do you really feel that strongly about him?"

"To marry him? No. And he knows that. We aren't rushing to Vegas if that's what you're worried about," she assured her, "But I _do_ love him and want to make him happy too. I plan on being with him when we go to school, and someday I _will_ see myself spending the rest of my life with him. If for some reason things don't work out I give him his ring back and we part ways just like any other couple-"

"Then why bother?"

Bella shrugged as though the other woman were sitting across the table from her, "It's important to him. His feelings for me are pretty strong," _understatement of the year_, "And he's from a small town. That's what they do here when they find someone they love. _You should know_…"

Renee giggled.

"I don't think it's unreasonable for him to ask me to wear his ring before he moves across the country for me."

"You're both too young, baby."

"I don't see what the big deal is," she dismissed.

Of course she was lying. She wasn't stupid, she knew that her decision to accept Jake's proposal wasn't going to be a popular one with this particular parent. Which is why her mother had just found out a month ago, when Bella had been sporting the meaningful peace of jewelry for half a year.

Renee wasn't much of a parent, in the traditional sense of the word. In fact the only serious advice Bella could _ever_ recall getting from her childlike mother were the constant warnings against settling down before the tentative age of thirty-five. The young Swan didn't see herself as rebelling against her inadequate mother, she wasn't settling for anything. She was going to go to one of the best schools in the country and just happened to be taking her best friend along with her.

"There's no big deal until the babies come. You'll find it more difficult to just dissolve things if it doesn't work out then…"

_You didn't seem to have much of a problem_, Bella nearly bit back.

"Trust me; kids would be pretty impossible right now."

"No birth control is a hundred percent, Isabella. Even those pills I sent you. You _are_ taking them…"

Bella's face flamed at the memory, "No mom, I opened your unassuming package in front of dad and he tossed them out. You can't just send someone prescription medication like that. I live with a cop..."

"My doctor's a very understanding man."

"I hope he's not as _understanding_ with his narcotic scripts."

Renee gasped with a new realization, "Does that mean you aren't on any kind of contraceptive? My god, there's no way _my_ daughter's being so stupid…"

The afore mentioned stupid daughter turned pink once again, this time with irritation.

"Listen, I'm going to go. I've got work in a bit and I have to get ready," she tried to end the discussion before it got off the ground.

"Not until you promise me you're being safe."

Renee demanded a lot for someone several thousand miles away.

"Me and Jake have never… done that, mom," she admitted uncomfortably, "with each other or anyone else."

It was true. Jacob had apparently made a promise to Charlie that he'd respect his daughter and in his translation that meant marriage before full intimacy. It thoroughly pissed Bella off that he had made the decision for the both of them. She was a warm blooded girl with a remarkably handsome partner and had needs to match, but he wouldn't budge, insisting they could wait 'until she was his wife'. Part of her suspected he was using it as a means to strong arm her into setting a date. He wasn't nearly as keen on a long engagement as she was.

Incredulous laughter filled Bella's right ear, "Am I supposed to believe that?"

Bella grunted grumpily, "You don't have to believe anything but it might make you feel better if you did cos' I'm hanging up now…"

But because she'd never had the gall to flat out hang up on anyone in her life, much less a parent, she breathed out a quick, "Love you. Bye," before Renee could object.

She hung the receiver on the dock with a heavy groan. Charlie desperately needed to invest in device with caller id. Talking to Renee since she'd been told about the engagement was absolutely exhausting and Bella kept inadvertently taking her calls.

She was even less in the mood for it today. It was normally extremely easy to defend her relationship with her best friend turned boyfriend. He was the very best part of her life. But Jake had been oddly withdrawn and standoffish over the past week and it was difficult to speak about their relationship with the same confidence she typically enjoyed. She had always known Jacob Black to be completely forthcoming with his concerns or worries, in the seldom event the carefree soul _had_ concerns or worries, but she couldn't seems to get anything out of him since he had started acting strangely.

They were normally inseparable. It was nearly impossibly to find one of two young lovers without the other. But Jake hadn't come to eat dinner with her and Charlie any night that week, had hardly returned any of her phone calls, and the conversation she did manage to force him into he been strained and one sided.

An eerie felling of foreboding was beginning to creep into her mind.

And although Bella felt in her bones that something was coming she didn't guess it related when someone knocked at her door just moments after hanging up with her mother, nor did she worry when she opened it to find Leah Clearwater, a prevalent girl in the neighboring Indian reservation where Jake was from.

Months previous Bella would have considered the Quileute girl a friend but feelings between the two turned bitter on Leah's end with no real explanation a while back. Interaction was still cordial but undeniably curt and uncomfortable. Leah only really spoke with her when Jake was by her side to play referee and even then Bella wasn't fond of how eager the other girl was to please her fiancé.

Leah was standing on her porch stoically, her hands wringing and her weight shifting awkwardly from side to side. The older girl was very self assured, if not down right cocky, so seeing her appear so out of character was unexplainably disconcerting.

Bella forced a smile. She glanced around to see if Leah's mother, Sue, had come to visit Charlie, which would be the only reasonable explanation for this particular drop-by, but found no one else.

"Leah. Hi…" Her tone was friendly enough, with a surprisingly little amount of 'what the hell are you doing here?' in it. "Is everything okay?"

The other woman didn't return the sentiment, her hard exterior impassive, "You have time to talk?"

Not really. Bella had to be at work in an hour. Only she and one other co-worker were available for the afternoon's shift, which ordinarily wouldn't be a problem in the tiny town, except that it was the beginning of summer and the sporting goods store's _one and only_ busy season.

She would have told Leah so but the girl must have been asking solely for the sake of propriety because she was already pushing past Bella and into the house once the question was muttered.

"Eh, Sure… Come in," Bella frowned at the girl's back, feeling very much like a character in an episode of _The Twilight Zone_.

Leah walked straight through the police chief's tiny living room and sat on the worn sofa. Bella tried not to balk at the cold intruder making herself so comfortable.

She walked around to face the La Push woman but didn't sit in an attempt to keep the conversation short. Bella stuffed her hands into the pockets of her old jeans and rocked from her heels to the balls of her feet, waiting for an explanation the other female didn't seem inclined to produce.

"So, what's up?" she finally prompted.

Leah's dark eyes looked a mixture of distaste and genuine nervousness as they snapped towards Bella.

"I need to tell you something. And it's really hard for me…"

Bella lifted her brow. Leah's voice betrayed the lack of sincerity in her words. She didn't sound like she was struggling much at all. Still, the proposition was intriguing. Bella wasn't aware the two of them had enough intertwining aspects of their lives to warrant a sudden confession. Surely this was something that happened between friends, or at least people that liked each other…

"Alright," she tried to make her tone soft and understanding. She didn't like Leah but she was very rarely cross with anyone.

"Maybe you should sit down…"

The brunette fought the urge to roll her eyes. As if anything she had to say would buckle her knees. "I'm fine standing, thanks…"

"Jake and I slept together," Leah said coolly. "At Embry's party last weekend. He'd- _We'd_ been drinking and it just _happened_."

Bella sat down.

Her whole body felt as though it had been hit by a bus because the second the words made it to her ears, she knew they were true. She wanted to scoff and laugh and tell Leah that ridiculous lies weren't enough to take down a relationship as strong as the one she shared with Jacob but she couldn't do it.

Jake was fun, free spirited and loved her more than she thought was possible. He'd taken care of her and stayed by he (her)side when she felt like she had no one else in the world. When the man that was like a second dad to him, Leah's actual father, passed away he dealt with his pain by helping others survive theirs. Jake just didn't _do_ solemn.

But looking back on the last few days, how her dependable other half could hardly even _look her in the eye_… What Leah said made perfect sense.

Bella felt a wave of self loathing when the first words out of her mouth were, "Jake wouldn't do that to me…" like it was the obligatory response of every cheated woman.

She _knew_ it was true yet she had just given Leah the indubitable satisfaction of proving her denial wrong.

The other girl oozed false sympathy, gazing over at Bella like she was particularly ugly, beaten animal. "I know it's not something you want to believe. I'm so sorry, Bella. But I owed it to you to tell you the truth… since Jake doesn't want to."

She took out a sleek phone and clicked away at the screen before passing over. Bella took it in a daze.

She glanced over a series of instant messages between Leah and Jacob's accounts, only picking out small sections of text as her heart raced painful. It was clear Leah had goaded him into admitting that he'd cheated for the sake of having proof to show her from the odd and carefully staged questions. It was actually quite embarrassing content and if Bella were in Leah's shoes she'd never degrade herself by showing them to another person, even for the sake of vengeance.

Jake wrote that it was a mistake. That he'd never meant it to happen and even _threatened_ Leah if she were to tell Bella 'things she didn't need to know'.

Bella couldn't decide if she was more disappointed that he'd cheated or that he'd fallen into such a clear trap. One mistake and he'd changed their future so drastically. Changed everything.

How do you ever trust someone after that?

"I'm sorry, Bella. We never meant to hurt you-", Leah started again.

Bella's eyes darkened perceptively. The delicate beauty wasn't one to act out in anger, but she was even less willing to roll over and allow someone to kick her while she was down. Leah would of course expect tears and dramatic anger but she simply didn't understand that Bella would sooner have the malicious girl dragged from the house by one of her father's deputies than give her the satisfaction of witnessing a single tear.

She squared her shoulders and looked at Leah calmly, as though her chest wasn't aching and her head wasn't pounding,

"If you are really truly sorry then you're forgiven. If you came here today because you thought I deserved to know then I owe you my thanks," Bella told her truthfully, "But I've never known you to mince words so I just don't understand why you're sitting in my home and lying to my face because both of us know that you don't mean any of it. So you tell me… why did you sleep with my fiancée?"

Leah's mask melted away and her expression went from one of forced empathy to a full blown sneer. If Bella had ever considered the girl beautiful she was no longer able to see any trace of it through the bitterness.

"Fine. You want to know how I really feel?" Leah snapped.

"Not particularly, but I'm sure you're about to tell me any way."

"You don't deserve him," she told Bella simply, "You were going to ruin his life."

Bella was more taken aback by that than she was by finding out Jake had cheated. She shook her head, adamant. Forks was a sleepy little town that sucked the life and dreams out of people. She couldn't be wrong for taking him away from that.

"He's going to school with me. That's hardly a waste of time…" she said softly.

Leah looked at her like she was the stupidest person in the world, "Yeah because community classes on the east coast were all he's ever dreamed about," she snorted, full of sarcasm, "Before you came along Jake would have been happy working on cars at Sam's shop. He was _good_ at it. Jacob is a Black… He's supposed to be the next Chief of our tribe. Maybe that doesn't sound like a lot to you but it's a pretty big fucking deal for us and you're ruining all of it."

Bella's throat grew thick with emotion. This wasn't a new concept to her. She'd worried countless times that she was being selfish. "I don't think those things are unimportant. I never asked him to come with me…"

"But you know he loves you too much to let you go. You think you're worth more than the other people in Jake's life? More than his friends, _his father_? You don't care that Billy's losing his son."

Her head shook again, clearing her thoughts and denying Leah's words simultaneously, "Rachel's coming back… Billy's going to have his daughter around."

Leah laughed out a humorless sound, "You really think that's a coincidence? That Jake's sister just happened to be moving back as he was leaving. I thought you had to be smart to get full rides at those ridiculous schools."

Bella's face drained of color. "What do you mean?"

"Billy's in a _fucking wheelchair_. He couldn't even go out to buy food if his only son was across the country, choosing his girlfriend over his family. Jake had to _beg_ her to move back so he'd be able to go with you."

Bella's vision blurred. She loved Billy, never wanted to leave him in a bad situation. Jacob had told her that his sister was always planning on moving home after she finished school. That it had worked out perfect.

Sensing weakness, Leah pressed on. "No one can talk any sense into him. You have your hooks in so deep. But that pedestal he has you on? It's bullshit. You're pretending you don't know that you're beautiful and that you don't see every stupid ass guy in this town drooling over you.

"You have Jake thinking that he can make you happy without giving up everything else in his life. That you'll be content coming back to this town after school to marry him, start a family… But that couldn't be further from your mind. You think you're above all that, Bella Swan. Just like your mom."

The Quileute girl looked her dead in the eyes.

"The bottom line is that you're leaving because you want to get the hell out of here and Jake's going with you because he'd give up everything to make sure you eventually come back."

Bella tried to argue but the only thing that came out of her mouth was a terrible strangled sound. Nothing Leah had said was that far from the truth, though she had grossly mistaken Bella's intentions. She very much loved Jake and wasn't consciously using him like was being suggested.

For the first time in her life she felt like Renee's daughter. Because the truth was, she _did_ think she was better than a quiet existence in a sleepy town. She had known all along that the boy she'd grown to love was like her father. Jake would be happiest, possibly could _only_ be happy, in the place generations of Black men had lived before him and she had used his love for her to coax him away. To try to make him something he wasn't.

She was selfish. She hadn't heeded her mother's warning, believing that she and Jake could work where Renee and Charlie had failed.

There were a lot of possible ways the relationship could have met its end but she hated that it was about to fall because of Jake's betrayal. That he had succumbed to whatever it was Lean had done to get him to stray.

She didn't want to be petty but it _hurt. _It physically and emotionally ripped her apart that he had touched another woman in a way he'd been saving for her.

Bella had never realized until that moment that she wasn't the only girl that _loved_ her fiancée, though the beautiful boy had plenty of admirers. Leah had always been there, just one of the boys, and she slipped right under Bella's radar. The girl hadn't been able to win Jake away behind his fiancée's back so she'd done the one thing that Bella wouldn't possibly be able to overlook.

She couldn't get Jacob to stop loving Bella but she was able to trick him into making a mistake that would insure an end to the relationship.

"He's never going to forgive you for this, you know?" Bella told her knowingly. "It might not be me but it'll never, ever be you after what you've done to us."

The raven haired woman's expression rippled with grief and Bella would have habitually felt bad if her own heart didn't already feel as though it were about to burst.

Leah's voice was unfathomably softer when she spoke again, her actual confession this time. "I love him more than you ever could, Bella. Seeing that ring on your finger and knowing you were going to hurt him… I was hoping that once we'd been together, that I'd told him everything, he'd pick me… That he'd be able to see that I could give him everything you won't," she let out a breath of laughter, acknowledging the ridiculousness of that notion.

"But even now…it was worth hearing him call me the worst mistake of his life to stop him from moving away from where he belongs for a girl that could never love him as much as he loves her."

"You're making some bold assumptions," Bella breathed.

"Am I wrong?" she was challenged, "Look me in the eye and tell me that _you_ would have stayed for _him_, if the situation was reversed. Tell me that you love him enough to give up all that he did and I'll find it in myself to regret what I've done…"

She wanted to, desperately, but she couldn't.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Bella was a strong woman. Even at a young age she had always handled her life's few injustices without the self indulging pity parties so common of her co-demographic. But the new development Leah had shared was almost more than she could bear.

She called Jake straight away, desperate to hear what he had to say, but like he'd been doing for the last couple days, he let his cell go to voicemail.

"Hey it's Jake-"

Bella let out a frustrated, lurch of a sob.

She wanted to curl up in bed and cry until she physically exhausted herself into the reprieve of sleep. Wanted to call her mother back and tell her that she _had_ gotten it all wrong, that the love of an eighteen year boy old _wasn't_ enough, she _was_ a stupid daughter.

Instead, she went to work.

She threw on the bright orange vest, which she swore the Newton's picked for their employees in a secrete need for sadistic humiliation, and jumped in her truck just minutes after Leah stormed from the house. Not even a broken heart was going to keep her from her responsibilities.

She needed the money. Bella was still going to get the hell out of Forks and now she was going to do it with one less income to depend on.

The small parking lot of the sporting goods store was surprisingly full with the out of town rental cars of Forks' visiting hikers and she felt a surge of relief as she took one of the only spots left. Busywork was a thing of beauty to a stormy mind.

Her co-worker, James Hunter, looked frazzled and exhausted behind the counter, the other teen age employee scheduled to be there had called in 'sick', so they were a man down. As Bella approached she could actually hear the boy _begging_ the ancient computer to scan and charge the order properly, daunted by the growing line of impatient customers.

"_Please fucking work. Please fucking work_…" he chanted softly under his breath. Bella would have giggled if she hadn't felt like she was holding on by a thread.

She calmly ran her fingers over the keyboard, typing in the code to fix the error that was disrupting James' efforts. The finicky machine decided to cooperate and the tall blonde turned his head to beam brilliantly at her.

"Bella," he whispered out in elation, "You're fucking beautiful when you're fixing my mistakes…" The boy reached over to ruffle her hair.

Bella's ivory skin flushed but she managed to cover with an eye roll and a bat of her hand. She very much liked James. The two had gone to Forks' High together and he had actually scored her one of the only available jobs in the tiny town, having been team mates with the owner's son. He was good looking in a very feminine, boyish way; with sparkling blue eyes and long golden hair he wore pulled back into a ponytail. He had been the school's star soccer player and had the lanky, muscular body the sport entailed.

Bella liked him because, despite all of his charming assets and the hoard of giggling girls that chased him around like a line of ducklings following their mother, he was painfully and endearingly shy. His pale skin was flushed with unwanted attention nearly as often as Bella's was and the pair held a strange kinship because if it. They'd met as AP Biology partners since James worked alone and had Bella joined in mid-semester. They'd slowly opened up to each other until he was more comfortable with her than most others, even teasing and joking.

She'd missed working with him quite a bit the last year that he'd been away at UW and was pleased to have her friend back over the summer.

"I must look pretty damn good just about all the time then James," she teased with a thick voice and a forced smile.

His playful grin faltered as he studied her with those soul piercing sapphire eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked softly.

Being a quiet observer, James was unusually perceptive for a boy and for some reason very protective of his one female friend. He even squared off with his more boisterous pal, Mike, when the Newton boy would to try to get fresh with Bella.

She shook her head fervently. There was no way she was going to confide in him, not for lack of trust, but rather the knowledge that she'd absolutely lose any semblance of the control she clung too if she even _thought_ about the things that were tearing at her insides.

He looked as though he were about to argue her refusal, his face a mask of concern, but a forgotten patron cleared his throat grumpily from behind the counter.

"Come on man, you're burning my day light," he tourist complained.

James looked as mortified as he always did when directly addressed by a stranger. "I'm- I'm sorry, sir. Let me just-" he pawed at the pile of would-be-purchases sloppily.

Bella felt grateful for the pardon and bad for the boy. She emptied his hands and checked his body out of the way with a bounce of her small hip, shooing him off indulgently. "I've got this. Go get a start on inventory so we won't be here all night, k?"

He glanced down at her tenderly and she had to look away to keep from crying at the worry in his expression. She wondered if everyone in her life would look at her that way when they found out, with concern and pity.

"You sure?"

She smiled, more genuinely this time and nodded. "Positive. Go."

When he relented and walked into the back she turn promptly to the customer and gave him a smile so lovely, his sour expression softened in an instant. Bella did what she was so very good at, pretending everything was ok.

"I'm terribly sorry about the wait, sir. Let me ring you up."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Bella was more productive during that shift than she'd ever been in her years at Newton's, and she was always an incredibly hard worker. She ran the register, tended to customers on the floor, and even found time to move the needed merchandise from the back to display when the traffic died down some.

By the end of the day she was dead tired, pushed to her limit. Every time she had slowed in her distractions her chest was weighed down with the unbearable pressure that came when recalling the situation with Jake. Anything was better than that.

James' big blue eyes had been following her around everywhere, like they were waiting for her to fall to pieces, and a few times she almost had. When it was finally closing time she quietly grabbed her keys from the back and rushed out the door without saying goodnight, guiltily leaving him to lock up. She knew how rude it was, but she also knew that the only thing keeping him from interrogating her throughout the day had been the steady stream of patrons keeping them busy.

Bella ran out into the cold and across the lot. The frazzled girl jumped in her truck and went to stick her key into the ignition before freezing mid-action.

She thought about going home, about walking into the little house and having to face her dad. Jake was like a son to him. He'd feel just as betrayed as she did. Charlie had pretended to be stern when the boy had asked for his blessing to marry his daughter but Bella had so clearly seen the joy in eyes, the relief that his only child was going to spend her life with a man he trusted completely. Relief that she would be able to find the contentment that eluded her constantly unsatisfied mother.

Charlie was going to kill him.

She was going to slump into the living room, take one look at her father and burst into tears, she just knew it.

It was so _embarrassing_, _mortifying_ even. More than the constant rain and the lack of things to do Bella hated the tiny town for its vicious gossip mill. She wasn't sure she was strong enough to handle the pain _and_ the judgment. Jake was the only thing that made it bearable in the beginning. She'd always been an outcast there, always "slumming it" on the reservation instead of necking around with boys like Mike. Now they'd all get a good laugh at her being cheated on by the boyfriend she'd stood by so proudly.

She wouldn't tell anyone, she decided. Obviously Jake was willing to take it to his grave and Leah probably wouldn't go around bragging about being her tribe's future chief's unsavory secret. They'd just breakup like she simply changed her mind and everyone could blame the spilt on her. She was leaving soon anyway and it would be easier to walk away knowing Charlie still had a friend in Billy, Jake's dad.

Bella didn't realize she was actually sobbing until there was a sharp 'tap' on her driver's side window and her vision was too blurred with warm, embarrassing tears for her to see who it was.

The door was yanked open and without a word, James' strong arms were scooting her across the bench seat so he could sit in her place and pull the quivering female into his lap. She clung to his obscene orange vest and he let her cry against his chest as he stroked her hair hesitantly. The young boy muttered reassurances she didn't really register but appreciated all the same.

Neither of them were entirely sure how long she continued on that way, whimpering softly as he waited it out with unparallel patience. Eventually she simply ran out of tears, and the only noise left in her old truck was the sound of her sniffles.

The fabric of his shirt under her cheek was damp and Bella groaned in humiliation when she made that discovery.

"Oh God, I drenched you…"she groaned. She refused to look up at him, left her little face pressed against the warm wet spot like a cartoon ostrich, hiding its head in the sand.

James hooked a finger under the tip of her chin and very gently lifted her gaze. Even in the dark he was able to make out the deep pools of her blush.

When she reluctantly glanced up she realized why he wanted her to see his face, that it held absolutely no trace of the annoyance or irritation she'd been expecting, only genuine concern and sympathy.

"You pushed yourself too hard today, Bella," he brushed tear dampened ringlets of hair away from her deep brown eyes and trapped them behind her ear, "Even Wonder Woman needs a break every once in a while," he grinned a little, trying to make light.

Bella's answering laugh rang more like a pained whimper. She didn't respond but he wasn't ready to give up on her yet.

The blonde rocked her comfortingly. The two had never shared so much as a quick hug but neither felt uneasy with the new contact. He smelled like fresh cut grass and new rubber from the crate of basket balls he had counted out for inventory but Bella found the corky combination unassuming and trustworthy. She thought reflectively about Jake's scent, leather and motor oil, and felt her eyes sting again.

"You can tell me, you know," James whispered, "Whatever's been bothering you all day, if you need to talk about it, I'm right here. I can barely hold a conversation with most people. Your secrets probably safest with me," he tired to joke again, blushing because the teasing jab at himself was unfortunately true.

Those stunning, huge, brown eyes peered up at him shyly and his mind automatically thought of the Puss in Boots character from that stupid movie his little sister liked to watch all the time.

"Jake cheated on me," her lip quivered, even as it was held prisoner by her teeth, "And he didn't even tell me himself. I had to find out from that bit- from the girl he cheated with," Bella stopped herself from name calling before dissolving into another round of tired sobs.

James wrapped his arms around her, a little too tight, and pulled her against him, cursing colorfully under his breath.

She cried harder.

"_Mother fucker_. He's a fucking idiot, Bella. He's so fucking stupid…" he swore into her hair.

The two young men had only met a handful of times when Bella's fiancé had stopped by Newton's to visit, but James had predictably spoken very little with the intimidating Quileute. Jake was overly friendly to just about everyone but James hadn't liked him much. The brute was massive and unpolished, a poor fit with Bella Swan's elegance and gentle beauty, in his opinion. Though, even he was willing to admit to himself that his dislike for Black was more rooted in envy than anything valid and had always made an effort to listen with friendly non-bias when Bella would talk about her long time partner.

Now he was _positive_ the La Push fucker had no business with a girl like Isabella.

"He doesn't deserve you," James declared with certainty, "If he's fucking stupid enough to put his hands on another woman when he had you, then he's a fucking fool."

Bella looked conflicted and guilty, "It's really not as cut and dry as that. Leah was right; I hadn't thought enough of him when I made all these stupid plans. Didn't love him like he loves me… I made it so easy for her," she whispered sadly, more to herself than James as she contemplated the part of this mess she found most distressing.

James gaped incredulously, suddenly so mad he could spit, "Do you even _hear_ what your saying, Bella? That he slept with some chick because _you didn't love him enough_?" he groaned. It was so cliché. She was so much smarter than that. "That's sick."

Bella frowned. Was that really what she was doing? Taking undue guilt onto herself so she could forgive Jake for the unforgivable?

"Well if you word it like that it is…"

"If you word it _anyway_ it's sick. Don't do that to yourself. You deserve more than a guy that fools around on you. There isn't anything you could have done to make that okay," his voice softened.

"I haven't even gotten to talk to him about it yet. He's hardly spoken to me at all since he was with her last weekend," Bella added with dismay.

His stomach clenched terribly at the sadness in her voice, protectiveness flaring. "I'll fucking kill him," he growled.

The miserable girl in his lap smiled for the first time at his threat and gave him a pointed, amused, look. Jake was almost 7 feet of pure muscle and while James had bulked up a bit during his first grueling year of college soccer, a fight between them would probably consist of just two hits. Jake hitting James, and James hitting the ground.

He grinned goofily at her, "I could take him," he murmured, delighted when Bella giggled doubtfully because it was a happier sound, "Or I could nail him in the nads and run like hell at the very least. The big guys are never as fast."

"I appreciate that you'd be willing to break the golden rule of male fisticuff for me, but that won't be necessary," she laughed with a sleepy sigh.

Her little smile was so sweet, even with eyes a bit puffy from crying, and after initial pride that he had finally gotten her to stop sobbing over that idiot he became suddenly and painfully aware of her proximity. This was _Bella Swan_, the most gorgeous and unattainable girl he'd ever had the privilege of secretly pining over, Forks high's wet dream, and she was curled up _in his lap_. James blushed furiously.

"You look exhausted," he said truthfully, reluctant to end his time with her but mindful that she'd probably had enough for one day, "Come on, I'll follow in my car to make sure you get home safe."

He patted her hip to get her to scoot but she didn't budge. Bella bit her lip thoughtfully. "What time is it?" she wondered.

He shifted her weight to pull the cell phone out of his pocket, struggling for a moment to shimmy it out from a seated position. "Eh… almost eight thirty. Why?"

She looked a little deflated. "Oh. I think I'm going to go for a drive, so… you don't have to follow me."

"_A drive_? Bella, you need to go home and get in bed..."

"I really can't go home right now," she sighed, "My dad doesn't go to sleep till ten or eleven and I don't think I can act normal around him right now, you know? I mean, he isn't super intuitive by any means, but he's not stupid either."

James made a face, "Why would you want to hide anything from him? Chief Swan is your father and he _carries a gun_. He's the first person you should have told about that little prick."

Bella shook her head quickly, "Jake's like family…"

"He _cheated_ on you."

"Yeah, and that sucks for me," she agreed, "The relationships over, and that's going to be hard enough, but this is between me and him. I'm going to leave in two months and I'm not going to mess up my dad's relationship with Billy because I need another person to feel sorry for me. I feel plenty sorry for myself, trust me."

James leaned warily against the back of the seat, already certain there would be no changing her mind. Bella was just as stubborn as she was selfless, "You need to stop putting everyone else's feelings before your own."

"Why change the habit of a life time?" she quipped with a weak smile.

Her rolled his blue eyes and scooped her up, tossing her gently onto the middle of the truck's bench seat. She squealed.

"Keys," he looked at her expectantly, his hand out.

"What?"

"We're going for your drive," the boy said simply, no room for argument. He wasn't going to let her cruise around in her condition.

Bella didn't reject his self-invite, just slowly handed over the key ring and accepted his company.

Thirty minutes later and he was pulling onto the firmly packed sand of a darkened beach. Although the La Push coast was significantly closer, he wasn't eager to stir up any upsetting nostalgia that would spoil Bella's marginally brightening mood. They had spent the trip in silence but at least there were no more tears. She even rested her head against his shoulder as he drove. It felt unbelievable to him but he couldn't tell if she actually wanted to be close or if she was just stealing the warmth the truck's broken heater wouldn't provide.

He stopped and parked just off the side of the road. They could smell the sea salt in the air but it was impossible to see anything beyond the gleam of the headlights, giving the unsettling appearance of being surrounded by abyss.

Bella was staring off into the blackness vacantly, with a sadness that just about broke his heart. He boldly but chastely wrapped an arm around her and gave her a gentle shake.

"_Hey_," he regained her attention, "Stop thinking about him… he's really not worth another second of your time."

She laughed sadly, "It only just happened today. I need some time, James. I was still engaged and moving across the country with him as of this morning…"

He shook his head in that 'I can't believe that shit' fashion, "I guess this isn't the typical Forks High breakup, where all you have to do is drop off a box of their shit on their front porch."

"Mhmmm… me and Jake have a whole lot more invested than a class ring and a few CD's he's left in my truck," she exhaled heavily.

He rubbed her back, hating how lost she looked, "At least you found out now, right? It has to be better to know he's a cheater now then after you guys move in together."

"Jake's not a cheater," she corrected, because she was positive it was true, "Even if I didn't want to give him the benefit of the doubt I know that the girl he… cheated with, manipulated him into doing something he wouldn't normally do."

Jacob Black worshiped the ground his fiancée walked on and was frequently teased for it by his single or less committed pals. It had been impossible to deny him when he pushed to take their friendship to the next level a few months after Bella's move back to Forks, with the shear amount of devotion he showed her. She had concerns from the beginning, worries that the kind of love she had for Jake was platonic in nature, but her feelings had grown into a romantic affection over the years, just like he'd promised. After all the work he'd put into it making her his, it was unlikely that he'd throw it away for a physical encounter he could have gotten from Bella herself.

"If this hadn't brought out bigger cracks in our relationship I might have been willing to try and work through it," _if for no other reason than to spite Leah_, she added mentally, "It's more than unfaithfulness though; Jake and I want different things, no matter how hard we pretend that's not true."

Even though they'd been friends since their junior year of high school, and he'd yet to see the beautiful and tactful female lose her temper, James was unnerved by her lack of anger toward her cheating fiancé. To him, there was no way a sane man could be 'manipulated' into cheating on a girl like Bella. He didn't care if someone was holding his fucking mom at gunpoint. She was perfect, and he worried that if she was already so forgiving this soon after finding out, that she'd be willing to forget the whole thing ever happen after a few smooth words from that steroid pumped pretty boy.

He blew a little oxygen on her flame, hoping to coax out the resentment she wasn't letting herself feel, "Well you're pretty incredible, Bella. If that happened to me I sure as fuck wouldn't be as level headed as you. I wouldn't be able to think of anything but my fiancée touching someone else…"

Her body sunk a little more into his side, like her spirit was deflating at the thought. James instantly felt bad.

"Can't say that doesn't bother me," she confessed quietly, "That's something he can never take back, a part of Jake he no longer has to offer me. That definitely stings."

He looked down at her, curious, "You mean that you aren't the only girl he's ever been with anymore?" he guessed.

Bella shook her head. Her hands wrung in her lap shyly, "The first, actually. We've been together since he was sixteen but now _she'll_ always be his first."

"You mean you and, eh… you guys never…" The striking boy gaped, blushing to his blonde roots.

She flushed right along with him as her eyes started tearing up again, "He wanted to wait till we got married. Or that's what he said, at least," she snorted humorously. "But maybe I _am_ making excuses for him. Maybe he just wanted her in a way he didn't want me."

The thought had occurred to her before. She could tell Jake's _body_ responded to her physically but he still managed to gently pull back every time their experimentation reached its final act. This never ceased to grate on her already tenuous self-esteem. Leah though, all olive skin and glossy black hair, had been able to cajole him into something he'd been denying Bella for months.

James couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was almost funny, that she could think that, "I don't really know the guy very well but I'd bet this week's paycheck that that's definitely _not_ the case," he blurted, chuckling awkwardly.

Bella blinked up at him, an obvious question in those big brown eyes. The young man swallowed thickly, his large Adam's apple bobbing in time, and wished he hadn't said anything. He'd never had the guts to before and this seemed like a supremely inopportune time. He went on with it anyway, anything to get that look off her pretty face.

"I just mean… Bella, you have to know how beautiful you are, right? If you don't he's fucking useless because… Well, he should have been telling you that… Every day. And I don't personally know the, eh, other woman, but I've seen all the girls in Forks and La Push, and even the girls from UW… so trust me, there isn't anyone that could top you," he mumbled honestly.

His face was so warm he felt like he was going to pass out and his palms were sweating embarrassingly. He couldn't meet her gaze as he sputtered out the pathetic admissions but he really couldn't hold them in either. James could hardly stand the thought of her doubting herself because of some prick boyfriend.

"I don't know what possessed him to… do what he did, but it couldn't have been because she was better than you in any way. I honestly don't think there is such a thing. He was stupid, Bella. He had you and he blew it and he's so fucking stupid because he should have known that there are guys- like, a lot of fucking guys- that would kill to be in his shoes… I mean- I would know, right? I saw you walk in that first day and I could hardly breathe around you. You were so- and I wanted to talk to you so bad but it took me mouths to even say _anything_ that wasn't directly related to bio and it only took Black like, five seconds to get to you," he rambled, pausing to laugh at himself in those miserable first months, when all he could do was watch her like a scared, but love sick, puppy.

He rubbed the back of his neck uneasily, "Jesus that's embarrassing… I didn't mean to tell you that… I just- you should know you, okay? If he didn't tell you enough it doesn't mean it's not true-"

James finally and abruptly stopped. Not because he had managed to regain control of his runaway musings, but because Isabella Swan's prefect pink lips were moving against his wantonly, nearly knocking the breath out of him. It took him all of two seconds to take advantage of the fact that the girl of his dreams was in his arms, willingly kissing him.

That little piece of guilt that told him she was acting out of heartbreak and stress died instantly with one look into those desperate brown eyes.

Both Bella _and_ James lost their innocence in the following moments, in her cramped truck with an ancient condom his father had slipped into his wallet the year he started high school.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Too long AN:

There it is. Hope it was okay. We have Jasper inviting himself over next chapter and our first lemon in the chapter after that. That little piece of awkwardness is going to be fun for me. I'll never be able to face my beta without feeling like a sexual deviant ever again. The things I do for you guys…

Also, I'm a nervous wreck because I just realized that my absolutely, hands down, favorite author on Fanfiction is reading this. If you aren't already following her, you simply must go look. She does some insane stuff with words and her _**We Used to Be a Love Story**_ is the only fic that has ever made me cry. I'm not a crier. It was very embarrassing for me. Naturally, I proceeded to read it multiple times. I'm a wimp when it comes to angst but I loved it so don't let that scare you, if I can handle it, anyone can. Best thing I've ever read on this site. _**Dinnertime**_; equally good, so go figure.

Anyway, its kind of like having Picasso strolling around your amateur art gallery.

I don't want to drop names and embarrass her, if you haven't already figured out who I'm talking about… But I _will_ say that her pen name starts with a 'G'… and ends with a 'iveUsAKiss413'. Oops. Go read her stuff. Now. Don't even leave me a review, just go.

**Nise started a thread for me! How cool is that? I'm so new to this whole thing I had only vaguely heard of Twilighted Forum at all but that's super exciting. The direct link is on my profiled if any of you want to take a look at that. **

http:/www (dot) twilighted (dot) net/forum/viewtopic (dot) php?f=44&t=15432

**I just got an account today so I can answer questions and tell you guys when to expect updates on there. **

Happy the baby isn't Jake's? Anyone think Cam Gigandet is as hot as I do? Leave me a review, only if you have nice things to say. lol ;]


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: All Twilight characters and core personality traits are the property of SM. I own nothing, nor do I plan on profiting from using her work. No copyright infringement is intended.

AN- Let me let write a little explanation for those of you that want to know why it's been so ridiculously long since my last update.

I had my window smashed and my laptop (and a few less important items) stolen out of my car several weeks ago when it was parked outside my boyfriend's house. I didn't lose any fanfiction because I had very luckily just sent what I was working on to one of my readers but I _did_ lose absolutely everything school related. Having a backup flash drive does you no good if it's tucked inside the computer case that was stolen with the laptop. I bought a new one and was given an extension on my work by showing my professors the police report but I still ended up having to rewrite a full semester's worth of assignments that were all due at the end of term.

I've been agonizing over the amount of time that has passed since I've updated but I honestly haven't had even a spare night to work on it since I lost all my files. Up until this week I just barely had time to get done what I _needed_ to do much less have a moment for what I'd _like_ to do. I feel so, so terrible for my readers because I'm not one of those authors that thinks this is an acceptable amount of time to go between updates but I am a painfully slow writer so my chapters aren't something I can scribble down quickly (I tried, trust me). However, next week it is finally finals week and I'm not much of a studier.

After that I'll be free for a whole four months for summer and have vowed to update bi-weekly, at least, until this story is done.

**Nise7465- Again, the best beta out there and my guide in all things fanfiction. **

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Edward stared impassively as she finished a rushed overview of day she conceived her child. Though the thought of her with someone else sat very poorly with him, by the end, his primary emotions were _definitely_ amusement and a heavy dose of relief.

She was brutally pink while recalling the events so he worked hard to keep a straight face as she told him vaguely about the awkward and uncomfortable nature of her first and only sexual experience. It sounded pretty typical of a small town, back seat, v-card exchange, and the relative innocence, to him, seemed a perfect match to his girl's modest and soft character.

He'd lost his virginity to a nameless, faceless sorority girl after Emmett got him belligerently drunk on his 21st birthday, and so knew first hand that there were worse ways for it to happen.

What Edward lacked in relationship experience he made up for in hard-earned sexual prowess and couldn't wait to show her how good it _could_ be. The knowledgeable lover was eager to lay her out on a proper bed and pay homage to the most enticing little body he ever had the frustration of seeing strut around him. He'd give her the experience she had missed out on when she lost her virginity to the wrong man… _or boy_, from the sound of it.

It was a selfish and slightly ridiculous thought to have in the middle of her candid confession.

She paused to gauge his reaction thus far. Bella looked as though she was nervous he'd reject her after the shared story, a nonsensical notion. One thing Edward had no right to begrudge anyone was a one night stand. He found her relationship with her former fiancé _significantly_ more troublesome because her talk of the boy lacked the tenor of a scorned ex-girlfriend. She almost sounded… longing, as she glazed over her relationship with Jacob.

He kissed the worry lines between her brows and gave her his best lopsided grin, determined to make up for the rude and interrogation-like wake up call. He'd be lucky if she ever slept in the same bed as him again, after all that.

"You had sex exactly one time in your life, _with_ a condom, and still managed to get pregnant…" he snickered, jostling her tiny body on his shaking chest, "You're clearly bunny-rabbit fertile. Do I have your permission to use you as an example when suggesting abstinence to my younger patients?"

Bella groaned and buried her face into his neck. He held her close and tried to kiss her embarrassment away but those pretty brown eyes grew narrower and narrower when he failed to stifle all of his laughter.

"It's not funny… He said a few nice things about me and I _jumped him_," she whimpered, humiliated by the memory.

He snorted, an altogether facetious sound, "I doubt he minded much, darling."

She grumbled sleepily against his shoulder, losing patience and energy for the impromptu conversation.

Edward tried to imagine how he would have responded to the stunning girl when he was a gangly, _and gangly he was_, nineteen year old. He'd no doubt have been putty in her perfect little hands and probably so fucking excited he would have misfired messily in his jeans. His instinctive protectiveness, and admittedly, possessiveness over Bella dictated he be angry at this _James_ for taking advantage of her while she was hurt and weak but, in all fairness, they had used each other in equal parts. James sounded like a kid with a bad high school crush and Bella needed someone to lick her wounds.

He grimaced at _that_ much-too-accurate metaphorical musing.

Edward was also able to remind himself that he wouldn't have Bella and the baby if the encounter had gone differently. The socially awkward Hunter boy had inadvertently given him the two very best gifts he'd ever received and he filed his name away for further action. Bella might be content with a verbal dismissal but Edward's lawyers _would be_ paying James a visit before the baby was born.

It seemed almost easy to accept all the circumstances now, when he felt as though he'd be willing to offer her anything in his power to secure her affections. He thought only fleetingly of how that might change, months down the line when it truly hit him that the girl was his but the child was not.

He put all thoughts that didn't pertain to how perfect her small body felt in his arms aside and reclined them down into the expensive goose down pillows. The windows outside were showing signs of very early morning and the hurtles the couple would have to over come didn't bother Edward nearly as much as the thought of leaving her side to go to work in a few short hours. A life time of responsibility meant surprisingly little to him since he'd found the stunning female.

He was about to insist that Bella go back to sleep and apologize for waking her in the first place but found that she was already breathing soft, even huffs of warm air against his chest.

At five o'clock he hit the alarm before it could wake her, padded quietly around the room as he readied himself for the day, and kissed the top of her head softly before he left.

The prideful feeling he got from leaving her asleep in _his_ bed as he went to work was well worth forgoing his home made breakfast. She looked like she was always meant for the warm spot between his sheets.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Dr. Whitlock sulked unhappily through the hospital halls. They were empty and nearly silent during the early morning hours but instead of enjoying a cat nap on his favorite lounge couch or prowling around the nurse's station and giving the ladies something to gawk at, he was waiting grudgingly for his best friend to arrive for the day. The seemingly endless weekend had strengthened his resolve.

Jasper was jealous.

"_Stupid Button_."

He had always heard of the ways that the natural progression of adulthood took its toll on friendships but that was never supposed to happen with Edward. They were never supposed to have to find time to go to the bar around _PTA meetings_ or _date nights with the wife_.

Edward, though he'd never phrase it that way, disliked and distrusted women in general. Though Jasper's wariness was derived from an old heartache and not a mild case of misogynism, they had both devoted themselves to a life without hen pecking and Cullen was one half of Jasper's ideal bachelor life style.

They were a team and Edward was fucking everything up.

Cute Button's entrance into the mix had seen a complete and abrupt stop to 'man time'. Edward never asked to hang out, never called… Even during the shifts they shared together, the ginger was mentally absent and constantly glancing at the clock before bee-lining to the door the moment he could to "check on Bella and the baby".

Jasper longed for the days when the two young doctors spent slow periods plotting and executing harmless well, mostly harmless pranks on the administration. And even though the Texan was almost always given full blame for the pair's mischief, he wasn't ready for the end of an era.

He'd tried biding his time with the fairer sex. Soft and beautiful and all too willing to take his mind off of things, but they were gone the next morning and none of them had anything to say that he was particularly keen on listening too.

On an unusually hard night of loneliness the previous Friday, after Cullen had canceled yet another one of their scheduled gym trips, Jasper had recklessly attempted to seek a replacement. Demetri, their resident anesthesiologist, turned out to be a cheap and poor imitation of his predecessor. The slack-jawed needle pusher had jabbered incessantly during their run and Jasper strongly believed, though he couldn't prove it, that the other man had firmly groped his ass during stretches.

Whitlock had spent the last week protecting his shapely rear end every time he called for an epidural.

Something had to change.

He thought about using a 'bros over hoes' approach when confronting Edward but quickly dismissed the idea. Not only was he fairly sure Cullen would haul off and deck him, but he legitimately liked Bella Swan.

That was probably the worst part of the whole fiasco. Was it even _possible_ to dislike the pint-sized beauty? With those disgustingly adorable doe eyes and that stupid smile that made his belly clench embarrassingly… Then she had to be smart and fucking funny on top of everything. Or it might have just been the way Edward talked about her. Like the girl hung every one of the stars.

Jazz was pretty sure he was getting a contact crush just from being in the same room as him too often.

The best-friend-snatching little bird.

He thought, after intense evaluation, that he wanted her to like him too. He could be friends with a chick. Cute Button made him laugh and cooked like his Momma' and was decidedly more fun to look at than her beau. Cullen's pregnant girlfriend probably couldn't help him score chicks quite like Edward used too but she was overall amusing and pleasant.

_And_ she was going to have a kid. Jasper had a niece and a nephew back in Texas and missed the hell out of them. From his experience, kids were hours of entertainment provided they could be given back to their parents once they stopped being fun and started being appallingly smelly and sticky.

If he could behave himself and watch his tongue around Edward's little treasure, he could get an extra companion out of the deal, instead of losing the only one he had.

And so Jazz found himself in the unique position of having to prove to Edward that he was family friendly. Like a golden retriever… or a mini van.

He groaned.

"You look like you're about to throw up," Edward's smooth voice commented lazily from a couple feet away. The blonde started like an untrained horse. He hadn't even heard his friend's heavily footsteps over his internal aggravation.

"We gotta' talk," he blurted immediately and very seriously.

Edward's coffee paused on the way to his mouth and his previously unfocused gaze flashed to his co-worker in a blaze of green. They stared at one another for several seconds before Jasper's tanned cheeks flushed with the embarrassment of not playing it cool.

Edward thrilled at the opportunity to tease the Texan. "Are you- are you breaking up with me?" asked solemnly before breaking out into a roar of deep laughter.

Jasper muttered curses and flipped Edward off as the redhead walked away to check his appointments, but still followed after like a loyal lackey.

"No seriously, you look like shit," Cullen put joking aside.

Jasper snorted, "And your face looks like Lindsay Lohan's bush. Fuck off."

For some perplexing reason, Edward's facial hair grew in several substantial shades lighter than his mild bronze locks, much to Cullen's chagrin and Jazz's delight. It was a hilarious flaw on another wise immaculately handsome man.

Edward's hand grazed over his heavy morning stubble covertly. "Bella slept in this morning. I tried to get up and out before I woke her," he shrugged like sacrifices for her were naturally understandable.

"Right," the blonde perked up at the convenient segue. Not that he'd been expecting Edward to take long in directing the conversation to Bella. It normally ended up there these days. "We should hang out after you get off tonight," he suggested casually, too causally.

Ed's body went ridged as a board and Jasper could already sense an impending rejection.

"Eh… Cant, guy. Sorry," Cullen answered with the same forced blasé, suddenly very interested in the file he'd scoped up randomly from the nearest counter top. "My sister-in-law got catty last night at the family dinner and I don't want to leave Bella alone for too long. She might have her bags packed and a plane ticket out of here after I exposed her to that flaming ball of crazy."

Jasper shuffled but held his ground, determined, "I meant the three of us ya' know? Button too." His mind raced to come up with something chicks liked to do. "We can see a movie or, uhhh… go _shoppin'_," he choked the last word out like it was coated in barbed wire and his face contorted with the strain of trying to sound enthusiastic.

Edward blinked vacantly for several seconds before he got a strong look of realization.

_He knew_.

Dr. Cullen had the decency of continuing their friendship's defining moment as if was anything but. He gave a disinterested shrug and nodded. "Sure. If you're cool with just hanging out at the house and watching some TV I can pick us up some dinner on my way home."

His lips twitched slightly at the corners. "Bella's not much of a shopper but maybe you can talk her into going some other time if you need a mall buddy…"

Jasper glared but there was no heat behind it.

He was too excited.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

At 11am Edward called home to ask Bella if the company he invited was acceptable, and to his credit only felt a tiny roll of envy when she sounded a bit too pleased about Jasper's visit. He spent half of his lunch break trying to convince her that she didn't have to make dinner for them, to no avail, but _did_ manage to talk her out of inviting his sister to the house.

At 3 Jazz left for the day, looking significantly more chipper than he had over the past few weeks, with promises to meet at Edward's place later that night.

At 5 Dr. Cullen's patient was _still_ in active labor and it became increasingly apparent that he wasn't getting out of there any time soon.

At 5:30 he called Bella again, to cancel this time, and to apologize profusely for the time she'd already spent in the kitchen.

At 5:39 Edward went to call Jazz to report the same message, but never finished dialing after he was interrupted by an emergency page…

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Jasper grinned like the Cheshire Cat as he watched her.

He had forgone the front door and instead slipped in through the always open kitchen entrance. He was used to letting himself into the house he'd spent so much time in and the spoils of the decision were better than he could ever have hoped for.

There was music pumping loudly out of a small radio over the sink— though he couldn't guess the tune, seeing as it wasn't his country genre and all the rest sounded like a bunch of noise to him— and the smell drifting through the air teased the shit out of the man that hadn't had a home cooked meal in longer than he could remember.

He hadn't come in quietly by any means, and had made the usual noises involved in entering a house and walking through part of the kitchen.

But Button clearly hadn't heard him.

Because the ridiculous girl was dancing around in a fashion that one would only dare if they were _absolutely positive_ there was not another living soul around to witness it.

His stomach ached with the effort of keeping his laughter silent as the tiny brunette tossed her narrow little hips around as she loaded dishes into the washer, her movements so far off beat that that he couldn't believe they were listening to the same song.

Her back was to him and by the time she was— what his trained eyes would describe as— _pelvic thrusting_ against the lower cabinets he had already whipped out his iphone to film a little gift for Cullen. If that didn't win him back best friend status, he didn't know what would.

He rewarded her with his best whistle and a bit more ascent than he'd use in normal conversation, "Jesus Button, who taught ya' how to move like that?" _They should be shot_.

Her scream trumped the music by far and the girl flipped around into a defensive position so fast Jazz's gray eyes barely had time to widen.

He expected her to be red with embarrassment— Edward claimed her cheeks were never blushless— but she was past that, her face almost grey with fear until she realized who she was staring at… Then her calculating brown eyes flashed from the sizable kitchen knife in her hand, to the pointed camera phone in his.

He swallowed hard.

When she finally spoke her soft feminine voice was remarkably frightening. "I'm going to get that phone," she told him casually, with nothing but determination, "and I'm going to destroy it."

Jasper held the device to his chest. He just bought the new sleek piece of equipment and he didn't want to lose it.

He offered up the small bundle of daisies he had purchased on his way over instead, allowing his face to look as remorseful as possible; an expression that was a sure way to get anything he wanted when he was in town visiting his momma.

"These reminded me of you. Ya know'… cos' they're so pretty."

Her little pink lips flatted into a stern line but she _did_ put the sharp blade down. Although, still in easy grabbing distance, he noticed.

Operation 'win over Bella Swan' was not off to a good start.

She switched of the horrid rock music. "What are you doing here?"

"Ed invited me," he said instead of admitting that he invited himself. "He said he'd called and told you…"

"He did," she nodded, snatching her flowers from him and bringing them to her nose for a dainty sniff. He watched her long lashes flutter closed as she savored the fragrance. Lovely. "Then he called me and said that his patient still had a few hours of labor and that dinner was off."

Jasper wilted but tried not to look as disappointed as he felt, "He must have forgotten to call me," he shrugged, dropping his gaze to his feet awkwardly, "I can leave..."

Bella looked at him like he was crazy, "After breaking into the house and scaring the life out of me? I haven't even decided if I'm going to let you _live_ yet."

She smiled at him again and the tension flooded from him. Good God, she was cute… He grinned back sheepishly, "Can that be another one of those things we don't tell Edward about?"

The little brunette rolled her eyes but indulged him with a sweet giggle. "The list is getting pretty long. It's only a matter of time until I let something slip." She winked and waved him further into the kitchen, "Look through the cabinets and find my flowers a vase while I finish our dinner."

Eager to please, Jasper set out to do as she asked, stopping only for a second to drool over the tray of bread she pulled out of the oven. She looked please with herself.

"I was expecting the two of you at six and he didn't call me until five thirty. I'd already started dinner, so lucky for you."

The blonde's stomach voiced its agreement with a low growl and he lazily pulled open doors.

Jasper wasn't sure if Edward would be cool with him being there without him. They shared a great deal of trust, established over many years of friendship but there wasn't really any precedent for this type of scenario. One thing was certain, Cullen was fiercely protective of this particular woman and Jasper wasn't going to test that new devotion. He also _really_ didn't want to go home to his empty apartment again.

When he finally found what he was searching for he brought it to Bella like a dog with a ball. "Found one!"

Button blinked at his happy grin and the glassware his hands for several seconds before she broke out into a peal of laughter, and though it was an altogether beautiful sound, he wasn't sure he appreciated it directed at him.

"I _guess_ that'll do. That's definitely a water pitcher though."

He looked at it objectively. "Looks fine to me. Like a vase with a convenient handle."

"Of course it does. You're a guy." Bella snorted.

He wiggled his honey colored brows, "Sure am. Need more proof?" Old habits die hard and all that…

Jasper barely ducked in time to avoid her tiny fist.

He watched her— like a foreign creature in its natural habitat— as she filled it with water, then very carefully cut the tips off each individual stem in the bouquet before rearranging them inside. She slid them back onto the center of the island and smiled delightedly. _Interesting_.

"Thank you, cowboy. They even look pretty in a water pitcher," she declared proudly. "Lets eat!"

She had set up a meal Jasper would have traded his last paycheck for. Lasagna and garlic bread, Caesar salad and a nice glass of… _milk_? He looked at her questioningly.

"We don't have any wine or alcohol," she blushed.

Jasper dropped his gaze to her gently rounded belly and smiled. "That's fine, button. If Ed's cuttin' the booze while you're out of commission then I can too." He wasn't a big drinker regardless but wine _would_ have complemented the meal nicely.

She looked even more embarrassed, "Its not that— I'm just not old enough to buy any…" she hid her face behind a curtain of hair.

Jasper froze in the process of stacking pasta onto his plate, trying his best not to voice any shock. He couldn't remember looking at the age on her chart the other day but he was pretty fucking sure he would have made note if he was told Bella was under twenty-one. The stunning girl _did_ look extremely young but he thought she just had one of those faces. 'Can you bone without landing my friend in jail', didn't sound like an appropriate question so he shrugged it off and promised her that milk was one of his favorites, though he preferred it with cookies.

He was ready for a slightly awkward sit down in Ed's over the top dining room, since she'd gone through all the trouble, but was pleasantly surprised when she led him over to the living room and plopped down in front of the big screen with her plate in her lap. Once again, a woman after his own heart. He followed her example and toed his shoes off before his feet joined her petite pair, propped up on the coffee table.

She was unbelievably esay to talk to, laughing and eating as they flipped through the channels on the television. He knew then that Edward's attachment wasn't based purely on the fact that she was fucking beautiful. Cullen had tons of beautiful women and Jazz had been there to see most of them pass through.

Bella had a very comfortable presence, never to be a 'one of the guys' type of chicks, but a breed of her own. Jasper was known for putting people at ease, his down to earth personality a breath of fresh air in a competitive and stressful field. It was nice to have someone around that relaxed him for a change.

After they were stuffed, and he had spent a nice chunk of time harping on her cooking skills, she kicked her feet into his lap and looked at him expectantly. He was only a little taken aback by her boldness but he just shook his head with faux exasperation and a wide grin then got right to work massaging her feet.

"When I was growin' up on my granddad's farm, he used to have to cat… it was a stray really, but it would get into the barn and sleep in there during the day. Damn thing was as mean as a snake. She'd claw you to pieces if you so much as looked at her funny," he told her fondly, as if recalling a pleasant memory, "Except every few years, she'd turn up pregnant. Then suddenly she was you're best friend, brushing around your legs until you gave her a good pettin'."

The relaxed female lifted an elegant brow, "I remind you of a vicious, frequently pregnant cat?"

He snickered. With a bittersweet wave of nostalgia, he remembered who Bella really jogged his memory of.

"Na, you remind me of my baby sister," he said casually. Charlotte didn't put up with any of his shit either.

Cute Button's brows knit together and for a moment she looked almost sad. He was about to ask why that would bother her when she answered his curiosity with a small sigh, "I know, I'm young…"

Jazz laughed. She thought he was comparing her to a little girl. "I'm thirty two years old, Bella. My sister's married with two brats of her own. She's only a baby still to me and my Pa," he admitted, before his smile turned teasing, "You remind me of Char because she's a bossy little thing."

She gave him a gentle kick in the gut, just enough to knock the air out of him.

"Yeah, she's violent too," he added, rubbing the spot.

Bella propped her back up on a pillow and looked at him thoughtfully from across the couch. Her hand ran softly over her small bump.

"Are you seeing anyone, Jazz?"

Jasper felt the blood drain from his face, or possibly, the whole top half of his body. He'd heard that question countless times, normally a few hours before he took the asker home for the night. That was _not_ something he wanted to hear from his best friend's cherished girlfriend.

His mind raced. It was the ascent— they couldn't resist it. He had to let her down easy and Edward would never need to know…

He looked at her carefully, his face displaying way more of his panic than he was aware of. "Button- _I'm mean_- Isabella…Edward's like- a brother to me. He's really the only good friend I have up here and I would never do _anything_ to fuck that up."

Her chocolate eyes grew huge and she shook her head frantically as she opened her mouth to argue. The blonde cut her off swiftly, not wanting to test his resolve.

"I mean- You're a fucking pretty girl and all," he understated, rambling, "But there are _rules_ and he found you first. Edward's really fucking nuts about you and- Well I can just leave and we can pretend this never happened…"

Bella blinked at him at him but kept her feet in his lap. If Jasper didn't know any better, he would identify her decently veiled expression as amusement. He waited with baited breath.

He gaped when she finally just rolled her eyes and kicked her feet lightly, indicating that he should continue rubbing. "No wonder you didn't come in through the front door… Your head didn't fit," she muttered with a wry smile.

"I-", he struggled, confused.

"I wasn't asking for me. But don't worry… This can be another one of those things we don't tell Edward about." She laughed, though her cheeks were decidedly pink.

"You weren't-"

"No."

The humor in her voice deflated a good deal of the humiliation that type of misunderstanding would usually warrant and instead he found himself feeling just as relieved as he was chastised.

They looked at each other awkwardly before dissolving into stomach aching chortles. Jasper was wiping tears from his eyes by the time he was able to control himself.

"So who _did_ you have in mind?" he asked finally as he went back to massaging the bottom of her tiny bare feet— the least he could do.

She looked a little reluctant but he didn't think to much on it, "A friend of mine. She's really great, owns her own business. And she's pretty too. Black hair, bright blue eyes…"

"And you're trying to set her up with me? She won't need enemies with a friend like you, Button," he joked uncomfortably. Frankly he'd rather poke needles in his eyes that commit himself to a date with someone he had to, well, _actually_ _date_.

"You're a good guy, Jazz," she defended him to himself with so much certainty that he almost believed her.

"I'm not a relationship guy," he said good-naturedly, but added a bit more steel to his voice.

"That's what Edward said," Bella bit back smugly.

He glared and tickled the foot in his hand until she squealed. "Well Ed got caught by a man-eater," he looked at her pointedly, "poor guy never saw it coming."

"So what made you swear off women?"

"Oh. I very much enjoy women, Button…" She scowled, arms crossed petulantly, as he shot her a friendly smirk. "Come on, you don't want to hear my sob story, darlin'. It's boring and happened so long ago you were still running 'round the sandbox in pig tails."

He guiltily deflected by bring up her age, which seemed to be a sore spot for her, but she wasn't one to be unnerved.

"I _never_ wore pigtails," she started with, a fact Jasper thought was a pity, "And I've got one too. I'll share mine if you share yours…"

The good looking blonde grinned wolfishly and made a show of pretending to unbuckle his belt, "Alright," he agreed in that '_If I must'_ drawl, "But try not to hold me against Ed. The horses in Texas aren't the only things with huge-"

Her feet flew off him with cat-like reflexes. "That's the second time you've offered to show me your penis in one night, Jazz. Don't strike out."

"What happens if-"

"You don't want to know."

Jasper resolved to cut back on the cock jokes, and to keep Bella's boney little heels out of his lap— just in case. "Fair enough," he eyed the small, frightening little creature carefully.

"Well, last woman I was committed to was my ex wife, Maria," he leaned back and said mater of factly, like he talked about her every day.

"You were married?" Bella tuned in with interest.

"Yep. Once upon a time. She was working on my granddad's farm when I was in high school. I used to go over there during the summer and pretend to do something productive so I'd have some cash to fuck around with. Maria was beautiful, smart and in the country one hundred percent illegally," he grinned.

"She spoke English?"

"I speak Spanish, Botón. I grew up an hour's drive from the border," Jasper corrected. "Edward does too, incidentally. If you two ever feel like mixing it up in the bedroom…"

Bella turned beet red.

"Anyway, fell for her right off the bat, followed her around like she had me on a leash. She came from a devastatingly poor part of Mexico sent what little money she made over here back home to her family. She was terrified of getting sent back," he remembered being afraid she'd run into immigration every time she left the house.

"When I finally turned eighteen I married her. My momma was mad as hell, but my family helped us with everything, getting her citizenship as my wife so she could fucking breath again. Things were real good for a long time, we got a little place while I tried for my undergrad."

He shook his head absently. He liked thinking about Maria about as much as he enjoyed changing the bed pans in med school.

"Long story short, her mom got real sick and she wanted to go see her before she died. I couldn't go because of school but it was only supposed to be a few weeks. Then a few letters later and it turned into months. I kept sending money…"

"She never came back," Button guessed with sad, sympathetic brown eyes.

Jasper laughed bitterly, "Oh she came back. A year later she wrote to say that her mother had died and she was ready to come home. I was fucking ecstatic. I sent her a plan ticket and picked her up at the airport.

"And two months after that, she had a baby boy." He rubbed the back of his neck warily, "The math didn't add up, you know?"

"That's awful," she said so softly he just barely heard it.

He shrugged it off and mussed her hair to lighten the mood. "That's life darlin'. She had her baby in a Texas hospital; and she and her boyfriend filed for visas as parents of a American citizen. I decided that I wanted to go to med school as far from all the mess as possible.

"I never hated her for it. You do what you have to do when you're that desperate for a better life. That didn't mean I wanted to stick around the farm that reminded me of her."

"You miss it?"

He beamed at her, only partially forced, "I'll miss it a lot less if you keep invitin' me over for a real meal." Jasper hoped it didn't sound as pathetic as it felt.

Bella shifted into the couch, she bit her bottom lip and he tried to convince himself she looked shy instead of unreasonably sexy.

"You're Edward's best friend," she stated, not a question.

He nodded and kept himself from mouthing off with a 'Before you came around.'

"Can I ask you kind of an uncomfortable question?"

Jazz barked out a laugh, "More uncomfortable than talking about my ex-wife?"

"Its about Edward…" she flushed.

"Ahh. An uncomfortable question about Edward? Carry on then…"

She dropped her head to stare at the hands in her lap, "Do you think it bothers him that I'm young?"

He squirmed this time, unsure if he could help her. Until a few hours previous, he hadn't even known she wasn't roughly their age. A large age difference in Edward's economic bracket wasn't uncommon and there was little chance it would catch much attention.

Rich men enjoyed young, beautiful wives, period. Case in point was Aro's fuckhot wife. He was old enough to be their father but the flashy blonde was twenty-five if she was a day, with a number of brain cells to match. He didn't share this how ever, guessing that Bella wouldn't appreciate the fact that she'd make an acceptable trophy wife.

"Why would you think that?" he asked instead.

Cute Button glanced up at him timidly. "It's just from the things he's mentioned, and the things you've said… I've gathered Edward's been with a lot of women… physically."

He put his hands up in a 'too far' gesture. He wasn't going to rat out his partner in crime, "That's really not my place-"

"I'm not asking you to," she corrected quickly, "Its just that- I know he's been with a lot of women but he hasn't… even _tried_ anything with me."

It took Jasper several moments to even figure out what she meant. It was only the mortification written clearly on her innocent face that lead his mind to make the connect. No. Fucking. Way.

"You mean you and Edward haven't…"

She shook her head.

"Not even-"

"Nope."

_Jesus_. Jasper couldn't imagine that Edward would be in as deep as he was without even sleeping with her. She was a pretty thing but Cullen had always been a man with expectations, a fact that the lovely Tanya's long run had proven.

Button looked uncharacteristically nervous and the perceptive blonde could tell that this had been bothering her. Naturally, if she had gotten wind of her boyfriend's reputation but he had yet to show any interest in her, in a physical sense, she would begin to wonder. Jasper was pretty sure he had a grasp on the problem.

"Edward's never put himself in a position in which he's had to pursue someone before, darlin'. I wouldn't waste your time typing to compare what the two you have to his past… _relationships_."

She interpreted this differently than he had meant, "You mean I should be more forward with him?"

Jasper was hesitant to correct her. She didn't sound uneasy with the concept, just calculating as she listened to his advice intently. He _did_ have obligations as a wingman. Edward could thank him later. "Well… I think he's fine with moving at a speed you're okay with. But a little bit of suggestion on your end ain't going to hurt anything," he offered, taking a casual sip of his milk.

She nodded thoughtfully, "I think I can do that."

His gray eyes followed her hand as it dropped down to her swollen middle. His years of professional experience made it easy to guess where the young mother-to-be's mind had just gone. He reached over and gave her arm a gentle squeeze.

"It's safe for the baby, Button. Ed would never do anything to hurt either of you."

She smiled softly in thanks.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Edward looked down at the tiny figure curled on the couch, made visible only by the gently flashing light cast from the television, with a dull ache in his chest. Bella was snuggled under a too-small throw blanket in the very tightest corner of his sectional, her tiny toes twitching slightly from the cold after having slipped out from under the thin source of warmth. On the coffee table in front of her laid an empty glass of milk and the crumby evidence of what had once been a plate of cookies.

She'd been waiting for him to come home.

He knew Jazz had been there, he'd received a rather absurd video of his oblivious girlfriend dancing around the kitchen like a drunk girl on spring break— though his favorite part had been when she flipped around and calmly threatened Jasper with a knife.

His first reaction to knowing that Jazz had spent the evening with his gorgeous girl— while he tried to convince a rather volatile pregnant woman that she couldn't push until she was fully dilated no matter how sick she was of being in labor— had been childish at best. He was jealous; sick to your stomach, throw things jealous, and he thought for a moment about just walking out of the hospital and going home to her.

It had been his fault, however, that Whitlock hadn't known not to go and once he had cooled down he was able to remind himself that his best friend would never do anything to hurt Bella and that she would probably enjoy the company while his job kept him away. He was especially grateful now, that she hadn't been alone all night.

He sat at the edge of the cushion and stroked his fingers through the long, silken waves that were spilled across the pale skin of her throat. She had proven to be a fairly heavy sleeper in the past but her huge, glassy eyes fluttered open the moment his tender petting had extended to her cheek.

Even half asleep, she smiled immediately, sweet and happy— _just because he was home_, and for the first time since he had left her that morning, he felt like he could breathe again.

It was a dizzying feeling that was both unpleasant and the best he'd ever felt in his entire life.

"_You're back_," she sighed blissfully against his palm before sitting up with a squeaky yawn.

"Fashionably late," he smirked and splayed his large hand over her belly, "How are you feeling? You shouldn't be sleeping on a couch. You're going to hurt your back," he frowned as he ran his fingers over the perfect, stretched flesh.

She leaned forward and kissed him slowly, taking him by surprise in the best possible way, adoring and sensual. Well before the point of running out of breath but a great deal long enough to tense every cell in his body, she released his lips and nuzzled her nose against the wiry surface of his cheek.

The simple sound of her warm, sweet breath in his ear was enough to take his mind in a far different direction than the affectionate welcome he had thought they'd been sharing, but when she moaned, _moaned, _into his neck he had lost all hope of playing the gentlemen she deserved.

"I was waiting for you, Edward. I wanted _you_ to take me to bed."

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A/N- Oh no… What did Jasper do? A good wingman always gets his friend laid, even if he's a little sore about the end of his Bromance.

Lemon next chapter because I'm sick of waiting for it.

**OUTTAKE TO REVIEWERS. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT WENT DOWN BETWEEN JAMES AND BELLA WHEN SHE DROPPED THE BIG NEWS JUST LEAVE A " :] "AT THE END OF YOUR REVIEW**_. If you aren't interested but want to leave a review, I'd love to hear from you anyway. Just 86 the smiley._ I wrote it but I didn't end up including it because it (is really long, for one) and was just way too much Bella/James in a row for my taste. **Make sure your settings allow PM's. **

**Also**, I'm going to be posting a **SNEEK PEEK** of the next chapter between now and the update on **Thicker Than Blood's Twilighted thread**, so look out for that if you are interested. The link is on my profile page.


	19. Outtake 1

**OUTTAKE! NOT CHAPTER 19!**

**Okay guys, this is the outtake I promised everyone for reviewing. I'm just going ahead and posting it up hear for a few reasons. **

One, the site has been so hit and miss when it comes to messaging. I replied to a few PM and reviews since last chapter and haven't gotten any replies back. I'm not sure if that means people aren't getting them or what. But since I have over 100 people to send this too, I can only imagine that any problems with the site would lead to a good number of readers not getting their reward.

Also, I was thinking— and my beta agreed— that this might have too much back story to only share with a fraction of the readers**. You don't have to read this if you aren't interested in so much Bella/other character interaction.** I honestly don't think it will keep you from understanding the plot of the story. It will be reaffirmed when Edward meets James. But if you are curious… it'll explain a lot.

Hope no one minds that I posted it this way. Just a lot of problems with the site lately.

One the bight side, **Nise7465 **beta'ed this outtake for us. Which was an awesome and unexpected surprise. Can't thank her enough! 

**This is an Outtake of when Bella told James. This is for all my reviews. You guys are too awesome.**

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Bella checked the address Charlie had gotten upon her request for a third time before she finally parked outside the tiny, run down residence. Like most homes in Forks, the small two bedroom she shared with her father was by no means grandiose, but the beautiful girl was still surprised at the grave state of her intended destination.

The Hunter home was a stationary trailer, rusting and rotting away in a similar fashion to the old tin cans that littered the yard.

Not out of judgment, but rather the desire to delay her business inside, she rested her weary body against her truck's upholstery and studied the neighborhood through the windshield. There were no sidewalks to be seen and the unkempt lawns grew wildly to the edge of the sloppy dirt road. Weeds and crabgrass, healthy from abundant rain, spread and crawled like a cancer, climbing up the sides of ravaged old cars, wrapping them selves around forgotten toys; living urban ruins.

She'd never have guessed that this was the kind of environment that fostered her intelligent and gentle class mate. It seemed like a miracle that someone so gifted could have grown from so much decay.

Bella's heart panged at the sight of a small swing set, a little pink bike with a broken wicker basket, a slide that had been turned on its side and abandoned a few lots down... Even destroyed by neglect, they reminded her of her purpose there.

Her hand dropped down to cover her perfectly flat belly, her thoughts on the minuscule hitchhiker inside.

She had gone to the doctor the moment her… subscription to her_ women's monthly… _ didn't arrive on time. Like many girls that had grown up with the fact that sex made babies shoved constantly down their throats, she was already mindful, if not down right paranoid, of the possibility. With the way her luck had been lately, she wasn't all that surprised when her impending motherhood was medically confirmed.

Bella had absolutely no signs of pregnancy, no morning sickness nor fatigue. If in no other way the child had been kind to its mother in that aspect, as if to say 'don't mind me' as it settled in. She felt precisely as she always had and that made it hard to wrap her mind around the realities of her situation.

But Bella wasn't one to drag her feet. She wasn't going to get any less pregnant and she had a new, bright and shiny set of plans to follow— not formed around a boy or even herself; but this tiny life that had quite rudely taken root inside her.

Her neck craned to see if James' car was behind a heap of miscellaneous junk on the side of the yard. After more than a month of painstakingly avoiding her friend by working shifts he wasn't, and even calling in sick when they were scheduled together, she very much hoped she'd be able to catch him while he was home. She studiously ignored the part of her that screamed that it was best he never know, that it would be better to let him live without that burden, because really, it was a selfish thought. She couldn't keep herself from letting James know that he had fathered a child simply because she was afraid to deliver the news.

There was no walkway to the front door and Bella toed carefully though the thick grass, full of hidden things just waiting to trip her unsure feet. She had taken to exerting extra caution since she found out her limited reflexes were no longer just responsible for her own safety.

She glanced around for a bell but only found a few free wires jutting out from the wall where a buzzer may once have been. Determination warring with her anxiety, she knocked hard against the door instead.

The walls of the dated building must have been incredibly thin because she was able to hear someone grumbling as their footsteps stomped closer. "_Who the fuck… trying to watch the god damn game_…" the deep toned mutterer complained.

Bella's heart started to race, her body tensing with the impulse to flee. She might have done it too, if she thought she stood a chance of running through that miniature field of junk before the clearly angry resident made it to the front of the tiny house.

_Clearly Charlie had gotten the wrong address… _

The man that swung open the door with unwarranted hostility would have been very handsome if he wasn't noticeably neglectful of his person. His full head of blond hair was ratty and greasy and his clothes were stained, but he had beautiful blue eyes and the face of a once coveted young man. Bella had never seen him before but she knew instantly that he was James' father.

His expression turned from annoyance to a surprised leer as he looked the exquisite girl over from chest to toe presented so conveniently on his front step. The comparatively tiny brunette tried to maintain her confidence but couldn't hide an uncomfortable shiver at his unapologetic study of her body. There was something particularly malevolent about his presence.

"What can I do for you, gorgeous?" he sneered. Mr. Hunter rested his beefy shoulder against the door frame with his beer can still clutched tightly in his hand, eyes trained several inches bellow Bella's face.

She ignored every sign of his crassness and even managed a polite smile. "I'm looking for James, sir. Is he available?"

He smirked, his tongue darting out to lick his lips, "For you? I sure am."

It took her several moments to realize her mistake. "Oh… I mean the other James? Your son, I guess…" Her friend never spoke of his home life and she hadn't known he was named after his dad. Probably something a girl should know about the father of her child.

For the first time, the man looked up from her breasts and acknowledged the fact that she had a face, completely befuddled at her words.

"You're here for Junior?" he asked, shaking his head disbelievingly when he received her nod, "_Well fuck me_… I thought the kid was damn queer for sure," he laughed, no humor, just malice.

Before Bella could respond with the proper amount of shock at his offensiveness, he turned into the house and let the door slam shut in her face. At first she thought she had been dismissed, but seconds later his voice boomed through the home, making her jump and gasp.

"Junior! Get the fuck out here! There's a honest to God hot piece of ass waiting at the door for you and Lord only knows if that shit will ever happen again."

Bella glanced behind her— at a blessedly empty street— with no small amount of mortification and the unease of a person whose already bad predicament was slowly worsening. She wanted to hide in the stupidly long grass and wondered how James— her sweet friend, who had the female population of Forks pinning over him, but never dated— could be so different from the man that sired him.

As if to confirm her thoughts, more footsteps were followed by James' much softer voice. "What do you mean? Who's here?"

"Long hair, big brown eyes, _fantastic_ tits." Mr. Hunter summed Bella up with all the information he found pertinent.

"Big brown…" there was a pause for thought, "_Oh God. _Bella_? Bella's here_?" James whispered hoarsely. His voice was a strange mixture of hope and panic and she desperately wished she wasn't able to here them so clearly.

"Don't you think if I had gotten her name I would have given it? How the fuck am I supposed to know. Only a fancy boy like you would give a fuck about her name when she's built like that. You hittin' it, Junior?"

There was a muffled groan. "Dad… She's- You can't just talk about her like that. She's- Well, she's the Police Chief's daughter for one," he pointed out as though he knew that threat of authority was the only thing that would change his father's behavior, "Is she still here? You didn't scare her, did you?"

The older man's voice growled, "Did I _scare her_? She's not a fucking squirrel, you faggot. Get the fuck out of my living room. I don't have time for your pansy shit."

Before Bella could pretend to look as though she hadn't been listening, the front door flew open and James came tumbling out, obviously pushed. She saw one last flash of James Sr. as he slammed the door behind his son. It was a sickening feeling; like watching someone kick a puppy.

Once the tall blonde righted himself, the two shared several seconds of awkward silence, unable to muster up even a casual greeting. Bella felt awful. The boy was red from root to collar with embarrassment and couldn't meet her eyes. He kicked at the ground but she could see that his lids were clamped shut, like he was struggling to contain himself or possibly— to her horror— keep from crying.

It was crystal clear she had intruded into a part of his life he wasn't very eager to show anyone, perhaps, even the reason he keep to himself so religiously. She shouldn't have come without calling but she hadn't known… She didn't want to have their first conversation since that night to be over the phone, or between customers at Newton's. Bella owed him so much more than an explanation.

Any conversation they had so close to the house would have been overheard so Bella gave them a few more seconds of thinking time by gently taking his hand and leading him to her truck for some privacy. James was quick to pick up her line of thought and followed without protest.

Stumbling through the lawn was drastically more uncomfortable in front of him. She wanted to pretend the obstacle course of junk wasn't there but she couldn't keep her eyes off the ground without tripping.

James watch sadly as she struggled before he could no longer keep himself from sparing her the ordeal. He easily scoped up the small woman, holding her bridle style as she gasped in surprise, and walked her through without incident. He was used to wading through the trash that girls like Bella Swan should never have to see.

He pulled out the back of her truck bed and carefully lowered her down, reluctant to let her go after he'd spent the last month dreaming up ways to get her in his arms.

When he finally spoke, it was barely a whisper, "I'm so sorry, Bella. I didn't want you to have to- He didn't hurt you, did he?" he lifted his gaze to look her over, searching her face for signs of fear or discomfort. "You should have called… I would have driven to- _well,_ anywhere but here."

Bella shook her head immediately, "No. I'm fine, honest. _I'm_ sorry. I just really needed to talk to you."

His expression turned doubtful, not accusing but deeply hurt, "But I've been _trying_ to get a hold of you… You've been avoiding me."

He'd tried everything short of blatantly seeking her out. She made it impossible for him to 'casually run into her' and he wasn't sure enough in their relationship— for lack of a better word— to push the contact. He felt worse and worse as more timed passed and she still hadn't spoken to him. After a few weeks he finally cracked and called her house, but panicked when her dad's gravely voice answered. He had slammed the phone down instantly and spent the next several hours worrying over whether or not you could get arrested for crank calling the Police Chief's line.

She hung her head guiltily, already prepared to eat crow for her cowardice. "I know… It's not an excuse, but I needed time. Things have been… rough."

"Did you take him back?" he wanted to know, forlorn.

The thought of the way things were between her and Jake made her sick. He had come to her the very next day, confessed and begged her to forgive him— though she wasn't sure if it was by his own volition or if he had gotten wind that Leah had tipped her off. Guilt ridden from her own discrepancy and moved by his gut wrenching pleas, she had given him his ring back and asked him for time to think things over. She hadn't spoken to him since. Ignoring his unrelenting calls, refusing to see him when he dropped by and spent hours camped out on her porch. She wasn't ready.

When she found out about the baby she knew she'd never be able to resolve things with her best friend. She'd have to leave the area before he'd suffer the hit of watching her pregnant with another man's child. She still loved him, wanted to protect him. She couldn't just turn that off. At the same time she wasn't going lie— even to herself— and say that part of her compulsion to run wasn't purely self preservation.

Bella didn't want to have that baby under the scornful eyes of Forks.

"No. I haven't spoken with him since the day after I saw you last. I promise it wasn't just you… I've been keeping to myself a lot lately."

James' relief left his lungs in an exhale so quick it stung his chest. He was sure that had been the reason she'd stayed away and the thought of her going back to someone that didn't deserve her ate away at him. Even if she didn't want him, it wouldn't hurt nearly as much a seeing her with Jacob Black.

"_Good_… That's good," he muttered, almost to himself. He should have known Bella's strength would keep her from make his mother's mistakes. She wouldn't stay with a man that didn't treat her right simply because it was convenient.

The silence grew thick again, the two youths' inability to broach a difficult conversation.

"I really have to-"

"Bella, I've been try-"

They tried simultaneously and cut each other off with sheepish grins.

"Can I just- May I go first?" he asked her hesitantly, his ears pink.

Bella nodded slowly, consenting her agreement only because she was sure whatever he had to say would be lost after she made her own confession and it appeared to be important to him.

He sat down beside her, so close their shoulders bumped gently. Slightly shy from the intimacy, Bella dropped her gaze to her shoes as she swung them back and forth off the side of the truck. James' colt-like limbs were so long his old Nike's were planted firmly in the ground.

"I know you probably aren't looking for anything serious after what happened with- _him_," he started carefully. Bella smiled softly at him, trying to sooth the unsteady tremor in his voice. "And I can't stand the thought of you hating me after what happened. You were so upset- I should have- I _never_ should have let things progress the way they did. I was… selfish," he muttered painfully.

She shook her head, pretty brown curls bouncing, and took his large hand in her tiny one. "I don't think of it like that and neither should you," she promised softly.

For one horrifying second she _almost_ made a joke about it being the best thirty seconds of her life— but realized that would fail miserably at lightening the mood. James had always appreciated her occasional silliness but she had a feeling it wouldn't translate in this instance.

"You made me feel… beautiful and I really needed that, that night," she blushed deeply but meant what she said. The handsome blonde boy had been as inexperienced as her but unendingly gentle with her. Though it had been a mistake that was going to affect her for the rest of her life, she wasn't going to denounce the entire experience or make him feel guilty.

He visibly brightened, "You _are_ beautiful. I've always thought so. _Everyone_ always thought so, Bella," he insisted timidly.

"You are too, James. Handsome, I mean…"

As soon as the words were out of her mouth she regretted them. As much as she knew he needed an ego boost, she didn't want him to think she was trying to encourage anything more than friendship between them. Not now.

His startlingly brilliant blue eyes flashed up to meet hers, the hope in them as clear as day.

He spoke with a new wave of confidence, "I know that we're going to be on different sides on the country but we still have more than a month… and breaks, you know? You're coming home for Christmas right?" his honey colored browns knit as he made half-baked plans; "I'm saving up to by my own laptop for classes. We can- you know- instant message, or whatever it's called…"

Bella's eyes widened as she realized he was describing something that sounded dangerously like a long distance relationship.

"James- I don't think that's-"

"I know," he backed down instantly, "You don't want to be tied down right? I- That makes sense." he glanced away, trying not to look so dejected. Bella wasn't exactly the kind of girl that reveled in the freedom of college but what pretty girl, that just got out of a disastrous relationship, would want to limit herself. He felt stupid for even suggesting it.

She took a heavy, steadying breath, "It's not that. I just won't be going to Dartmouth this fall."

His head snapped toward her, his eyes suddenly hostile as he took in her gorgeous, guilty little face. "You're fucking kidding, right?" he his tone flattened uncharacteristically.

"It's just not in the cards anymo-"

"You can't let that cheating asshole keep you from going to one of the best schools in the country, Bella. You _earned_ this. I know you're sad but-"

"_I'm pregnant, James_. I could care less about Jake right now. I can't go because I'm going to have a baby."

To the young man's extreme credit he did not strike out in anger nor was the first thing out of his mouth a denial of paternity or the age old 'Are you going to get rid of it?'.

What _did_ come out of him was- to Bella's best estimate- his lunch, and the irony was not lost on her as she spent the next several minutes holding his long blonde hair back as he retched over the side of her truck, rubbing his broad shoulders soothingly.

James couldn't breath.

His hard work, years of meticulous devotion to his studies and grueling perfection of the sport that won him his financial support for school were all for nothing. And what was worse was that he was going to take her down with him.

Another beautiful, intelligent woman dragged down by a Hunter male. Just like his mom.

He couldn't fathom how he'd be able to balance the relentless soccer practices and keep himself above the required grade point average while working to support Bella and a- a-….

The intelligent young woman recognized his ashen complexion and shallow, frantic breaths for what they were. She took his hands in hers, establishing a calming contact without crowding him.

She kept her voice smooth and steady, expertly void of her own inner alarm. "James, you're having a panic attack," Bella informed him softly, "Stop thinking for a moment and focus on deep breaths. Everything is going to be okay."

He wheezed painfully, "_Not okay_," he barely forced out.

Bella gave him a hard look. "Don't say another word until you stop teetering like you're about to pass out." She wasn't strong enough to carry or drag the lanky boy, she was sure of that.

His eyes welled up with a thick rim of moisture and her heart ached for him. She didn't feel great about being pregnant in her teens either but James looked like his life was absolutely over. Like she'd just told him he had roughly eight months left to live.

"It's okay James. I promise. It's really not that-"

He shook his head forcefully, unable to let her continue her baseless comforting.

"Not what? Not that _bad_?" he coughed out, his tone manic but not at all hostile, "Its worse than bad Bella. I don't know how to be someone's _dad_," the blonde whispered the world as though he'd never heard it before, then pointed to the dilapidated trailer, "That's the only dad I've ever had, Isabella. You just met my '_father figure'_."

He caught the cringe she was unable to suppress and groaned at the unnecessary confirmation that his role model was a disgusting prick.

"Oh God, _this is so fucked up_," he threw his head back and clinched his eyes to fight back another wave of nausea.

"This is the first time I've ever met your father but as far as I can tell you two don't share much more than a name," she smiled sweetly as brushed a disobedient lock of blonde hair out of his face, "Not everyone is a photocopy of their parent. I'm my mother's polar opposite," she offered helpfully, though after Leah's accusations, she wasn't sure even that was true.

She was as strong and as painfully beautiful as always. James felt yet _another_ pang of guilt for breaking down on Bella on top of the guilt he already had for debauching and impregnating her; a predictably potent concentration of self loathing. He was supposed to be the one talking her through this mess, he was sure, but his last attempt at soothing Bella had ended… well, questionably, and he was pretty sure he was never going to have sex ever again.

It didn't help much that the only advice he had ever been given on dating went something like… "What ever you do, don't fuck the Malory girl." Which turned out to be a pretty solid suggestion. After some careful observation, he discovered that the town bicycle's daughter, Lauren, had hair and eye color shockingly similar to his own.

That had been fun realization.

"I'll take care of both of you," James declared. He sat up strait, the posture of an individual that was sure of their course, but was still having a hard time breathing with his heart in his throat. "If you come to Seattle with me, I'll get another job. I can make this work."

He said it with every intention of keeping his word but felt the overwhelming pressure of the promise immediately weigh on his shoulders. He already lost a large chunk of his precious free time to a work study program on campus that covered the difference between his athletic scholarship and the high price of tuition and books. If he forfeited his on campus housing to find a place Bella could live with him, he'd be up to his neck in expenses there just weren't enough hours in the day to work to cover…

He'd have to cut out something and he had a sinking suspicion that soccer was first on the chopping block, and with it, his ability to pay for school.

Bella eyed him thoughtfully. That certainly wasn't the reaction she had expected after telling a 19 year old boy that his one night stand had resulted in a child but in retrospect, maybe it should have been. James was a great, genuine person. But she was already going to be giving up enough for the both of them. She wasn't going to let him ruin his life because of some innate— though obviously not inherited— sense of honor and obligation.

"You know that's not going to work… You'd have to drop out of school," she pointed out.

James' pale skin turned positively green. "I can do that too," he choked with a definitive nod.

Bella rolled her eyes at his cracking, brave façade, "Jesus. Stop that, you're going to make yourself sick again," she reached over and rubbed his back until the rigidity in his spine slowly eased. "I'm not asking you to do that, James. I'm just trying to prove a point."

He looked at her incredulously. He couldn't understand what point was proven by pointing out the inevitable before he was ready to embrace it.

Bella sighed, "You'd have to give up everything by taking on a responsibility like this. Will you be honest with me about something?" she asked him levelly.

He nodded.

"Do you want this? The baby."

His eyes dropped to her belly and he swallowed hard.

_God, no. _

_Not even a little bit. _

Not even a small part of him. He'd been so sure he'd never inflict a childhood like his on another human being and he didn't know anything about fathering any other way. All he was sure of was that the way he'd been raised— it sucked. It was painful and unpleasant on all parties involved and he couldn't fathom perpetuating that cycle for another generation. The very _idea_ had his hands physically shaking. The- _baby_ inside Bella was completely unflawed, untainted, and it made him sick to think of ruining something so perfect.

Even still, he didn't have the luxury to make that decision any more. She was already pregnant and even his own shitty father had stuck around and provided for them financially. They didn't have much and he was a fucking tyrant, but none of them were staving.

"It doesn't matter," he muttered softly, unwilling to flat out admit his thoughts. A man _should_ want his child. But he knew what he _didn't want_; to leave Bella alone with his mistake. That would have to be enough for now.

"It _does_ though," she stressed, "James I'm willing to do it because I want to do my best to give this baby a chance if it's in my power to do so. I _want_ this. If you don't then you aren't doing any one any favors. Not yourself, not me, and certainly not a child that you'll grow to resent. What would be the point?"

He flushed deeply, "_The point_ is that it's easier to raise a baby with two parents than it is with one. If it wasn't my mom wouldn't… she never would have…" _made them stay with him. Let him hurt them. _

Bella softened even further, "Easier for who, James? Has _any of it_ been easy on _you_?" She didn't want to cross a line but she wanted him to see.

The boy stared at her with bright, sad blue eyes. How many times had he wished that the man he was named after would just leave and give them all some peace? Was she right? Was it better to have no father than one that didn't want to be there?

He would _never_ raise a hand to his child, never talk to him or her like they were scum he was stuck with; he knew he wasn't like his father in that way. But _just_ that wasn't enough, he was sure. Not being abusive wasn't good enough. He didn't know how to do the other things, the stuff that made you a _good_ dad instead of a passable one.

She opened her arms in invitation to her agonizingly conflicted friend and he leaned into her gratefully, accepting the comfort he didn't deserve.

"What do you need, Bella? Just tell me what you want and I'll find a way to make it happen," he begged in a whisper against her hair, his voice haunted. "_I promise_."

Bella pulled back just a little, just enough to see his face.

"When I made the decision to keep him, I wasn't making it for the both of us, James. I would never force a child on someone that wasn't ready for them," her voice took on a fiercely protective edge, "especially _my_ child."

"You'd do this on your own. You'd just walk away and let me live like it never happened," he breathed, trying to understand what she was implying.

Any other girl in Forks would be planning their nuptials and signing him up for a full time position at the local logging company.

Bella shrugged, "I'd assume there's no way to simply forget your first born is out there somewhere… But essentially, yes. I'm not asking you for anything. I'm only here because I owe you the opportunity, only if you want it."

He marveled at the pretty brown haired female in front of him, certainly not for the first time since she'd come strolling into Forks High, soaked to the bone and ill prepared for the rain. The differences between that girl and this _woman_ were unmistakable, startling even. Those eyes that used to be so much like his— always trained on the ground in hopes that no one would notice them— were positively blazing with determination, and a confidence he was sure he'd live his whole life without experiencing.

She didn't need him.

It was still, hands down, the most painful decision he'd ever made in his life.

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AN; See, James is a dick in this story too. We're just a generation off. lol

Update… soon. Sorry if some of you were faked out or disappointed, but remember that this is an extra, not a replacement of a normal chapter. Don't worry.


	20. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: All Twilight characters and core personality traits are the property of SM. I own nothing, nor do I plan on profiting from using her work. No copyright infringement is intended.

AN: Not much I can say about this one…

**Nise7465** beta'ed this for us. Lets cross our fingers and hope she still talks to me after this… haha She's fantastic, as a beta, an author, and so tremendously kind and helpful it makes you remember why fandom can be extremely special.

I did add a bit after I had her beta so if you see a mistake, that's all me. 

Special thanks to MaxieMoose for my 1000th review, but a thanks to every single one of the 1000 that came before her as well.

Also, a few of you girls have been to the twilighted thread, thanks a ton for the support there, Yuki, Cmm52, and jtab04!

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

For longer than was really reasonable, Edward didn't say or do anything.

He was a man that— to run the risk of sounding pompous— was accustomed to getting what he wanted. Professionally, his affiliation with Carlisle Cullen in combination with his natural drive and intelligence, blew open doors that held back his peers. Since his early twenties, his wealth had made any material want a non-issue and on the rare occasion the company of a particular woman appealed to him, it had always been as easy as a simple introduction for the handsome young man.

But he was willing to be patient for Bella.

Scaring her off by pushing the innocent, sweet little creature too far wasn't an option. He wanted her more than anything else in his life and had immediately readjusted his methods and expectations.

So when the sentence, "_I wanted you to take me to bed…" _escaped those beautiful pink lips in that soft and intoxicating voice he had almost instantly assumed that he was simply allowing himself to jump to the conclusion he was most desperate to hear. A hopeful, but less than rational, projection.

His mind raced to come up with other possible explanations for that sequence of words in that seemingly suggestive tone. _Surely_ her voice was still thick with sleep… and _clearly_ she was just drained and wanted him to carry her up the stairs…

Except even _he_ knew that was fairly ridiculous.

Even if he had been successful in convincing himself that Bella was just suffering from sudden and debilitating fatigue— a scenario that would no doubt result in another frantic and ill timed phone call to his father— those eyes would have been impossible ignore. _Those eyes_, stunning, expressive, and eternally as honest as the girl they belonged to, were positively radiating determination— even as her teeth trapped her bottom lip with an innocent bashfulness.

Instead of running the risk of humiliating himself by misconstruing her words into something she hadn't meant, or worse, missing an opportunity by ignoring an invitation she _did_ mean, he simply asked her to clarify.

"What do you want, sweetheart?" he wondered softly, pushing a wave of glossy hair behind her ear to better see her expression; a tool that often told him more than her verbal admissions.

Bella's palms started to sweat anxiously.

She had practiced those words, and _only_ those words— bold enough to get her point across but, not so brazen that she would be unable to say them without stammering— and didn't have a backup plan in the event that they didn't lead to Edward immediately whisking her up to the bedroom with the obvious intent to ravish her. The pretty, but painfully shy, girl feared that she might have exhausted the tiny ration of courage that Jazz had given her. If Jake had been so easily able to deny her advances, then she was half convinced she had no hope of enticing a practiced and sought after man like Edward Cullen into bed.

She dropped her gaze to her belly, where Edward's large, warm hand was still stroking her gently, instead of meeting his curious eyes.

"_You_. I want to…" she flushed hopelessly, and then took a deep breath.

"I thought, that maybe, we could-" the second attempt too, ended in something that sounded very much like a strangled whimper.

Edward watched as his girl melted from strong resolve to twitchy, uncomfortable embarrassment and knew definitively that there was only one topic that could be responsible for the quick turn around in the inexperienced young female. Bella _had_ been trying to seduce him. The realization brought almost as much alarm as it did excitement.

He immediately questioned her motives.

"Bella baby, you don't have to do anything you're uncomfortable with," he promised her, berating himself, "I know I brought you to my room last night… but I just wanted to be close to you. I wasn't trying to insinuate- impatience."

His sincerity would probably have been better demonstrated if he could manage to keep his hands off her for a full five seconds, but he hadn't the self control to stop petting his beautiful girlfriend like a prized kitten.

She shook her head slowly, playing with the edge of the collar of his shirt with less than convincing nonchalance. He loved the way her little fingers felt as they trailed along his neck. If such casual touches were enough to set him on fire, he wasn't sure he'd live through actually making love to her.

"I don't feel pressured," Bella assured him with another sweet, feather light kiss, "And I don't want you to feel pressured either… but I _really_ want this. I know it hasn't been very long and I probably sound like a whore," the word slipped out but she obviously didn't care for it because her nose immediately scrunched with distaste.

_Adorable. _

"I've just- lately I've been- _you know_… and it's so hard when I'm around you. I swear I'm not normally like this," she squirmed.

Edward snorted and very nearly rolled his eyes, "You could never sound like a 'whore' darling, you just sound-"

_Pregnant_.

Damn.

How many times had he explained to his patients that drastically increased or decreased libido was entirely normal and expected during pregnancy? How many had expressed distress or discomfort because their hormones were supplying a drive nearly too intense to satisfy?

Far too many for it to have slipped his mind that his own very pregnant girlfriend could be experiencing the same thing, but it had.

He'd been so focused on reining himself in and handling her with kid gloves that he had forgotten that she was more than just a flawless beauty to fawn over and protect at all costs, she was a woman with needs. Needs that were probably driving her up a wall by now.

Fortunately, this was an area he was more than willing to work tirelessly to satisfy, as well as make up for lost time.

The redhead grabbed her hand and lifted himself off the couch, tugging slightly to get her to follow.

He also might have sent up a silent prayer that this wasn't just an erotic dream he was having on the dirty staff lounge couch after collapsing from exhaustion back at the hospital…

"Where are we going?" she asked, taken aback by the sudden end to their conversation.

He hoped she hadn't changed her mind, "Up stairs, love. I'm going to make you feel good," he offered confidently. "I promise."

Bella looked delighted.

He grinned at her lightning fast change in demeanor and scooped her up easily. When he had arrived home, only minutes earlier, he had been running on fumes, worn from a long day at work, an entire night spent listening to Bella's story and− perhaps a bit creepily− watching over her as she slept. Now though, with her in his arms, he was feeling a new, powerful wave of productivity.

Bella tucked her beaming face into his neck and nuzzled him gently as he walked them up. He nearly begged her to let him concentrate as he maneuvered them up the stairs but her little nose felt as good as it did distracting.

When he stopped abruptly at the end of the hall her head popped up in alarm. The tiny thing looked at him searchingly, her eyes voicing confusion and what he thought− with amusement− might be a small bit of hostility.

She believed he was having second thoughts.

Edward grinned wolfishly, and jutted his chin in the direction of the two separate master suites. "Your place or mine, beautiful?" he teased.

Bella's eyes narrowed but her lips held the unmistakable twitch of a suppressed smile as she pointed towards Edward's room and kissed him soundly.

He wasted no time.

Edward refused to allow awkwardness to creep into this greatly anticipated encounter. After lowering her carefully onto the center of the bed, he distracted her with a lingering, passionate, kiss as he began to pull off clothing.

He had worried— in the numerous times he had lost himself in daydreams of intimacy with Bella— that he would have a hard time handling her differently than the women of his past. She was widely inexperienced; her soft blushes had told him so even when her swollen belly had suggested other wise. She needed tenderness and patience, two qualities Edward had never before equated with sex. Everything else was new to him, but carnal comforts were the one aspect of the relationship in which he had already developed a norm. Unfortunately the way he treated Bella was incomparable to his interactions with partners he sought out for purely sexual satisfaction.

But the moment he lay beside her, surrounded by her low moans as he worked her blouse over her head and sucked greedily on the pale skin as it was exposed to him, he knew that his fears were unwarranted.

She was so _small_.

A great deal shorter than the model-figured night time companions that had come before her, and a full foot short of his own substantial height, the tiny, gorgeous female appealed to an entirely different set of instincts in the young man's mind.

Edward marvel at the way her slight body felt as it pressed against his, was overwhelmed by the certainty he had in the fact that he could _protect_ her from anything, _keep her_ _safe_ always. She wasn't just a woman in his bed, she was _his_ woman and he adored her. Even the hard little bump of her stomach resting against his own abs felt tremendously imperative to his existence. Nothing in the world could keep him from Bella and the baby.

The sense of complete possession threatened to knock the air from his chest and he knew that the way he loved her physically could be nothing but a manifestation of that encompassing drive to please her.

As hurried as he was to rid them of the layers that separated their bodies, he stopped dead when her upper half was finally released from its cotton and silk coverings.

He even leaned back to get a better look.

"Fuck."

Bella's face, that stunning, pale, heart shaped face with those soul wrenchingly brown eyes? That was simply the tip of the anatomically perfect iceberg.

She was flawless.

Her breasts were immaculately rounded, pert and heavy in a way that could only be achieved with youth— and perhaps direct lineage from Aphrodite. They were topped with dark red peaks and looked so large as they heaved atop her narrow rib cage, that he could hardly believe they had blessed her small frame.

Edward was still staring, possibly open mouthed, when Bella flipped her long mahogany curls over them. He nearly growled when his view was disrupted.

"What's wrong?" she asked in regard to his pause and study. Suddenly self-conscious, she sat up a little further against the mountain of pillows, a little further _away from him_.

That wouldn't do.

He closed the distance and moved the offending strands out of the way, trailing the back of his finger over the soft definition of her delicate, jutting collar.

"Nothing's wrong, love. You're beautiful," he told her simply. He ran his hand down over her breast bone until it cupped a firm gob of ivory flesh. Bella's lips parted as she sucked in a hard breath. "_And these_… are fantastic."

He missed her blush and doubtful expression, focused mostly on her nipples as they hardened and lengthened under his kneading palm. The impulse to put his mouth on them was staggering.

"They're not normally this big," she confessed, fighting a moan, "And they weren't so dark and, well… veiny."

Her voice was a little wistful, like she was mourning the loss of her formally pink areolas. He tried not to laugh. She was in for a world of surprise when the baby was born and her milk began to come in. If she thought the changes were considerable now…

As if the thought that her body was drastically different than what she was used too had just occurred to her, Bella glanced down at herself, embarrassed.

"My stomach used to be flat… and my hips have never been this wide before," she told him frantically, as though she was trying to convince him she had once had a desirable figure.

Edward dropped his eyes lower to examine the areas in question. He hadn't ever given much thought to the pregnant body, aesthetically speaking, though he knew the mechanics inside and out. He could confess that he had never found anything about the child heavy form particularly erotic.

It could have been because the majority of the expecting women he encountered were patients that he would never dream of allowing himself to consider in a sexual capacity, _perhaps though_, it was just different when it was the woman he cared about that was growing and brimming with new life, carrying a child he very much considered his own. Bella's body— swollen breasts, rounded belly, and soft, full hips— was nothing short of stunning to him. The glowing embodiment of femininity.

He couldn't imagine her ever looking more painfully beautiful than she did right then. While she might have put it off indefinitely if given the chance impending motherhood suited Bella better than anyone he'd ever encountered, and he had seen a great many in his profession.

He was determined to let her know it, because clearly, step one to making this a successful first time for his lover was making her comfortable around him.

His own throbbing need— and _throbbing_ it was— was secondary for once in his life.

The handsome doctor grudgingly abandoned her breast to run his fingers through her mane of curls in a comparatively chaste gesture. He remembered back on a few fairly fascinating journal publishing's he'd come across years earlier that he thought might aid him in his argument.

"You know," he started, his tone conversational, "there have been studies done to determine traits men find most alluring in a potential mate…"

Bella quirked a brow, smiling at his clinical mask. "Oh?"

He nodded seriously, "Mhmmm…. Interesting but fairly predicable findings, really…"

"Let me guess, six foot, hundred pound blondes," she laughed lightly, not at all bitter but a little resigned.

Edward grinned, "It's actually more primal than that, instinctive even." he corrected, "Starting with the obvious."

He threw his arm across her ribcage and gently pulled her body against his chest, her tits were left inches from his face, in his opinion, perfect placement for them. Leaning forward, he dropped his head and nuzzled his nose into the middle of the firm, heavy mounds. They were so warm, the heat of them alone sent his entire body in to a dull burn, and he could feel her precious heart pounding against his cheek like it was trying to escape. He pulled back when she arched her body to push them higher, nonverbally begging for more.

_Not yet, love. _

This time, his voice dropped into a silky purr, so smooth it sounded virtually unintentional, "It hasn't been necessary for survival for centuries, but we're _still_ drawn to woman with plump, full breasts. At our origin, when we tuned our species' behavior in order to thrive, they'd be the best equipped to nurse and nurture healthy offspring…" he drawled against her slender throat.

Bella's long lashes fluttered listlessly, "_Yeah_?" she swallowed hard and he felt the movement across the bridge of his nose. Edward got the feeling that she wasn't entirely involved in the conversation.

"Scientific fact, my darling. Men out there would live and die to love breasts like these," he caught her lazy gaze as he took one of her perfect rosy peeks into his mouth and suckled her tenderly until she dissolved into a mess of low cries.

_Even her sounds were beautiful_.

He unlatched with intentions of returning to her chest and paying it proper homage after further exploration. "But they're _mine_," he added with all the confidence in the world. "Mine to feel, to squeeze, to taste…"

She whimpered.

Edward moved his focus down to her lower body, which was still covered in a thin pair of yoga pants. Oh how he loved and loathed those tight black bottom huggers when she was strutting around his home in them, now though, he just wanted them gone.

"May I?" he asked permission, one finger crooked under the fabric in anticipation of peeling it down.

Bella, still dazed, nodded with huge, excited eyes.

Just as perfect as the rest of her, he noted with ever increasing awe. The girl's legs were slender and beyond exquisite, her light skin glowing on the backdrop of his dark duvet. She instinctively parted her thighs for him, her body driven by need. Only her tiny cotton panties kept him from her most intimate area.

Edward ran his palm reverently over her sharp, prominent pelvic bones, his hand so large on her small frame it covered the majority of her lower belly. He could see the slight width that the weight of the little one had added to her hips, a difference that would only be apparent to a nineteen year old beauty that had never before felt an ounce of unnecessary fat. She squirmed with discomfort when his fingers glided along them.

"It isn't a rail thin body that they found men flocking to," he continued to croon to her, "When given the choice, angel, it's lovely round hips that call to us. _Innately_, because they mean a figure that is more easily able to birth the children you bless us with…

"_Consciously_, because we love something soft to hold onto as we thrust inside," he hummed, tightening his grip, he allowed himself to grind his sizable erection into her side. It was so sensitive that it nearly hurt, the pressure caused his voice to release in a hiss, "And for that, these are about as perfect as they come, my Bella."

"_Edward_," she plead out in a nearly silent breath, equal parts emotion and desire. "I- I-"

He shook his head to quiet her, though he could tell that it was unlikely she'd manage anything coherent with or without his interference. If he was going to take this step with her, start the physical aspect to what would be his one and only honest relationship, he needed her to understand what it all meant to him. It would be cheap to pretend that she was a means of release, and it would be unwise to keep her uninformed about the true amount of power she held over him.

He reached up and pet the length of her inviting dark hair, smiling warmly as he rubbed the tip of his nose against her own. The warm puffs of her breathing were quick and shallow against his lips.

"As far as hair color, I can't honestly speak for men as a whole. That seems to be altogether a matter of individual preference," he admitted, green eyes blazing into deep brown, "But _I've_ only cherished, committed myself to- _loved_, one woman in my entire life-"

He brushed his lips against the crown of her head, "and she isn't blonde."

It took several seconds for her face to even register that she'd comprehended his confession, several long tortuous moments for him to get a glimpse of the shock, fear, disbelief, and hope that passed across it. It only took him a few extra seconds to move along before she was forced to respond. He only wanted her to know what he was beginning to feel for her, but found no urgency in forcing a declaration out of a girl that had far more difficult things to worry about.

He kissed her thoroughly flushed cheek and rubbed her smooth, _ripe_ belly— the obvious sign of pregnancy that his sweetheart considered most distressing— with all the affection he felt for both mother and baby.

"You're growing us a child, sweetheart," he pointed out with no small amount of pride, "There's absolutely nothing about that that isn't beautiful."

Bella groaned at his sweet touch, "_Please_… Edward, please…" she begged. She needed _something_, or she was going to burst, even if she wasn't entirely sure what that something was.

As though unable to wait a moment longer, Bella started desperately pawing at the buttons on his shirt, her little fingers working shakily to expose as much of him as was displayed with her own near nakedness. He let her fumble with the first two before he very gently pulled her wrists away and tried to calm her.

"Easy, love," he crooned, imploring her for a bit more patience. Eager to please, and just as anxious to feel her skin against his, he sat up to pull his dress shirt and under tee off in one fell swoop.

Bella gasped and he tried not to look so sickeningly smug. Up until a month ago, his routine hadn't included much more than days at the hospital and evenings spent working out the stress acquired there. He was excessively proud of his body and was hard pressed to believe that too many males her age were capable of the discipline required to achieve his build.

He didn't allow himself any gloating though, not even when she reached out and ran her little fingers across the lines of his abdomen with glossy wide eyes.

Edward closed his eyes and let her do her own inspecting for a few moments before trying to gently push her back down into a reclining position. Bella resisted and hooked onto the loop of his pants, which were embarrassingly bulged from her proximity.

"Aren't you going to take these off?" she wanted to know, seeming unusually bothered by the fact that they were still on.

He shook his head, "Not yet, baby. Just lay back and let me take care of you." She whimpered, frustrated, "_Please_," he tried again, more softly this time.

Truthfully, he wasn't sure he was going to be able to get her off from penetration alone. He was very well endowed, and while that was a good thing for most women, Bella had only had one experience, probably painful. Even if the kid was hung like a horse, it had occurred several months previous and she was bound to be uncomfortably— for her— tight.

"Why?" she asked innocently as she did as she was asked and leaned back against the pillows.

His lips twitched into a smirk at her constant curiosity, and he decided to give her an honest answer, "Because once they come off I doubt very much that I'll be able to keep myself from taking you, and I'd like to taste you before that happens," he bent to kiss her lips softly.

Flames of blush licked from root to glorious chest but she looked drastically more willing to cooperate.

Edward delighted in working his way slowly down her life bearing body. He supported his weight carefully as he nibbled, sucked, licked every inch of her lovely neck and breasts. Elated by the sense of _closeness_ he felt towards Bella the and child— _his perfect, tiny, child_— he spent extra time nuzzling and kissing her rounded belly, losing himself as his girl ran her fingers through his mess of hair.

The little whimpers that were coming from the very back of her throat were like music to him.

It wasn't until the smell hit him that he lost all grasp of control. _God, her smell_. Thick and musky and sweet, even several inches away from the apex of her thighs it flooded his senses and shredded his ability to think.

Edward's pelvis locked and burned with the impulse to thrust, penetrate, _fuck_ the source of that siren fragrance.

"_Christ_, _Bella_," he groaned, tortured and guttural as he took his place between her spread legs, "You're dripping all the way down your thighs, _baby_. You need this so bad," he crooned to her.

His girl was drenched, soaking and needy, all for _him_.

"I can wait to just slip right into you."

"_Oh_," she mewed, too far gone to feel embarrassment and arched her hips to his face in a frantic plea.

He needn't bother even taking off her panties to get his first taste, eagerly running the flat of his tongue along the immaculate ivory flesh of her inner thighs, he lapped at the tangy essence that had escaped the pathetic dam of fabric. He couldn't believe he'd lived so long without knowing her flavor, and struggled to think of something, _anything_ than had ever brought him a margin of the pleasure he felt from licking languidly at her entrance.

He was surprised, for just a second, to see a trimmed, but still very present, patch of dark curls when he'd pulled the thin straps of her thong down her legs. It wasn't something he'd ever thought twice about, but he'd never been with woman that wasn't completely bare down there.

Edward brushed through it with the pad of his thumb. It was perfect; innocent, unpretentious, just like his Bella.

The beauty shuddered at the touch but propped herself up on her elbows to look at him warily.

"I- I'm afraid of waxing… _down there_," she confessed shakily, "Is this okay? I- mean, I could wax- I'm sure it's not _that_ painfu- Oh!"

She cried out and fell back when Edward threw her legs over his shoulders and tucked into her core. There were never going to be enough words to convince Bella that she was exactly what he wanted, precisely as she was— her modesty was one of the things he truly adored about her— but he could always _show_ her.

He worked her clit furiously, sensing that it would take very little to coax her overly responsive body into orgasm. Holding her small bud in between his lips, he concentrated the tip of his tongue on flicking it gently in rapid succession. Edward reached up and ran his palms across her belly as he serviced her, ever aware that he not only wanted her screaming his name, he also needed the mother-to-be calmed and relaxed.

Bella started squirming like a worm when she was close to climax; he had to hold down her hips to keep them from bucking straight off the bed.

"You're okay, pretty girl," he cooed encouragingly, kissed her thigh.

"I know it's uncomfortable but if you stop fighting it you're going to come _so hard_ for me, darling…" He promised, knowing it was true, "Just trust me."

Edward sat up and finished her off with his fingers, _needing_ to see her face as she came apart for him. Her head thrown back, breasts heaving with her pants, hair a wild mess against the sheets; she was magnificent.

He watched with his heart in his throat as tears rolled down pale cheeks from clenched eyes and he leaned in to kiss them away as he pulled off his pants and boxers like they had caught fire.

His hands were shaking from his body's need to be inside her, by the time she had come down, he felt like he was going to die.

"Baby, please. I want to be inside you," he groaned, "Please..."

Bella nodded frantically and scooted herself underneath him, an open invitation.

The redhead looked sheepish, "I can put a condom on… but I really don't want to. I'm clean, but you'd have to take my word for it."

Edward winced, he probably sounded like a teenage boy that was trying to convince his girlfriend to let him go bareback, only he couldn't know for sure, because he had certainly never been that reckless. He hadn't ever been inside a woman without a condom but he was desperate to know the feel of Bella without one. She wasn't some fleeting bed warmer that he didn't trust with birth control, she was there to stay and they were already expecting a child. Edward didn't want a piece of latex to cheapen the experience.

She grinned goofily and grabbed his arm to pull him closer, "Can't get any more pregnant than I already am."

"Hmmm, my swimmers are going to be sorely disappointed at the end of this race," he smirked down at her. "They'll have to wait an awfully long time before there's a vacancy."

He hadn't been waitlisted since Yale. His sperm tried not to take offense.

She paled noticeably and smacked his chest when he laughed at her reaction, "A vacancy _and_ open application for tenants. This isn't a free for all here."

He hummed a chuckle into the side of her neck and very carefully positioned himself over her small body, between her legs. Her belly was still plenty small enough for him to easily hold his weigh over her with locked arms.

Edward was _so close_, he could feel the pulsing head of himself skim and poke against her entrance, desperate to fulfill its purpose. That alone was, without contest, the most incredible thing to ever happen to his cock.

Her tiny hands found his chest and for a moment he thought he was being pushed away until he realized that she wasn't exactly exerting any pressure. Her arms were simply propped between them, like they would catch him in the event his failed— regardless of the fact that they were roughly a quarter of the size of her male counterpart's bugling biceps.

Lusty green eyes darted down to figure out what the ridiculous girl was doing and found her staring warily at the space between the delicate bump of their child and his own, unyielding abdominals. Her nerves were rolling off her.

"This isn't going to be a comfortable position for you," he noted aloud and tried not to groan as he sat back on his haunches. His manhood jutted out angrily, thick and long. Bella's eyes widened as they took it in for the first time.

"_No_! It's fine… I just-" she panicked, guilty, "I trust you, please, I promise-"

He plopped onto the mattress beside her and pulled her tight against him, her body tucked perfectly into his own, "There's a nearly two hundred pound man hovering over you and your baby," he reasoned consolingly. He knew he'd be able to manage it but it didn't matter much if she didn't feel safe.

That blush though— that didn't belong to a girl that was ready to be on top.

"You're already such a good little mom, aren't you darling?" Edward praised her in his softest voice, stroking her cheek tenderly with the back of his finger. Bella giggled into his chest, "How about if you turn on your side for me, love? Let us try something that might work better for you."

He manipulated her gently until she was facing away from him, her gorgeous backside bare and exposed. Bella's firm little bottom was unbelievable but it was the fucking _adorable_ dimples just above it, and the long, elegant line of her spine that truly drove him crazy.

"Like this?" she asked innocently, peering back at him over her shoulder.

"Exactly like that, pretty girl," he grunted out his approval. "_Perfect_."

Edward scooted forward and pulled her back securely against his chest. It was a position commonly recommended for late pregnancy but not something he had ever tried, as it didn't allow for particularly deep or fast penetration.

But as he positioned himself behind her, hitched her long leg back over his hip to allow him access to her core, he realized he'd probably never attempted it with another woman because of the startling intimacy it offered. He couldn't see her face, but he could _feel_ every curve of her against him. His hands were free to travel and explore, comforting rubs to her tummy, palms full of juggling breasts, long pets of her silken hair.

Edward's strong jaw rested atop of her own delicate features, cheek to warm cheek as he told her how beautiful she was, how much he adored them both.

He entered her slowly, carefully— any impatience he might have had entirely negated by how right it felt to finally be home.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Jasper watched as his best friend strutted around the hospital with the most shameful grin on his face. Considering the way the redhead had been sulking about the last few weeks, his suddenly trouble-free demeanor was as easy to read as a t-shirt with the words 'I just got laid' printed across it.

Apparently Button was good at _everything_.

The blonde wingman gave himself a mental pat on the back and full credit for Cullen's success.

To pass up an opportunity to give his pal a bit of a tease wasn't an option. He strolled up with the clear cantor of an individual that was up to no good while Ed was reviewing his schedule and the female nurses were giving him coy smiles in hopeful attempts to take advantage of his rare good mood. Obviously, they couldn't tell as easily as Jasper that the reason the handsome physician was being pleasant to them was the same reason none of them would ever stand a chance at catching his interest.

"You're certainly looking… _healthy_ today, Dr. Cullen." Jazz dropped casually and graced a cute gal in pale pink scrubs with a wink. She giggled happily. "Good night?"

Edward's attention hardly strayed from the list of the day's appointments— his 'too good for this conversation' bravado still firmly in place— though his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"I _did_ get a good night's rest, Dr. Whitlock," he muttered dryly, but the crooked grin was back, as though he was simply unable to stop it.

The girls behind the counter engaged in a collective swoon.

Jazz shot the ladies an exacerbated side glance and snickered at the thin cover, "I see… Well, good. It was long past due. Everyone needs… _a good night's sleep _every once in a while. You'd been looking particularly… _tired_ lately."

Cullen glared before ignoring him altogether and turning away to speak with the head nurse.

Jasper laughed but decided not to push the subject in front of so many prying eyes and loud mouths. Ed was obsessed when it came to his privacy and would only get snippy if confronted too far in public.

The Texan glanced around for other ways to amuse himself and settled when his eyes found his favorite new nurse chatting away with a group of her co-workers on the far side of the office.

His ego bruised a bit when none of them noticed him walk up, they were too busy yammering over the open newspaper sprawled across the counter top. It threw him for a bit of a loop, seeing them interested in anything but glossy magazines. The hospital had some fantastic staff, and some unbelievably talented nurses, but the Obstetrics department was a notoriously ditsy group with a startling high turn over rate. The few good, focused workers usually transferred out at the first opportunity.

"What are you hens peckin' at?" he asked curiously, leaning up against the nearest wall before any of them had even seen him approach.

He knew they'd been up to no good when several of the women looked away quickly and quite suddenly found very important work to do. Only Jessica, the newest addition who had yet to learn all the work place policies stayed behind, to fill him in with the same amount of enthusiasm she'd had when discussing the topic with her less faithful friends. She smiled conspiratorially, "Edw- Dr. Cullen's in the paper," she whispered and pointed one long red nail at the first page of the Society section of the local periodical.

Jasper snorted.

That wasn't uncommon. The Cullen's were a very prevalent family and the press absolutely adored the wealthy young doctor, writing stories every time he'd been given any type of award or honor for his, admittedly, hard earned work at the city's largest hospital. A few years before, he'd seen a ton of print time when he was spotted with Tanya, the face of a widely popular designer's new line, back when the two had started seeing each other. They had eventually tired of the couple, and when nothing between them proved to be serious, they had tossed him on their 'Seattle's Top 10 Most Eligible Bachelors' list.

"Again?" he rolled his eyes but delighted in the prospect of more good teasing material. "I could throw myself off a bridge and barely make it into the city paper," he joked with noticeably fake envy, "Even then, I'd probably just be a traffic alert."

She gave an exaggerated, hair flipping laugh and passed him the news print when he held out his hand.

His grin dropped when he read over the piece's bold title.

**Commitment Shy Cullen Heir Takes **_**Baby Steps**_** Towards Settling Down with Barely Legal Girlfriend**

If Button was keen on hiding from her past a city away, it was just about to get a lot harder.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

AN; Thoughts? Lot of kinks to work out but satisfactory first time over all?

Who went to the press?

**2loveybunnies**** helped me so much with this chapter, from support to suggestions. She's a fantastic pre-reader. If you need help on a story I would track her down and beg her to look it over for you. Thanks so much for the help, L! **

Who else hates this new site set up? It's not that big of a difference but it's throwing me off, simple minded creature I am. lol


	21. Chapter 20

Summer job I wasn't expecting. Full time +. I'm sure you guys want to kill me at this point. I am really sorry. Hope you believe me. I've just been so busy/exhausted.

Disclaimer: All Twilight characters and core personality traits are the property of SM. I own nothing, nor do I plan on profiting from using her work. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Piper-lane** made Thicker than Blood a fantastic banner. It's truly beautiful and I'm so honored that she would take the time, and her talent, to do something like this for my little story. I can't thank her enough. Take a look at it! Every time I open it, I love it more and more. Totally pretty. So exciting for me. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

**Ms_ambrosia **also made me an amazing banner, even though I know she's in high demand and extremely busy. It's so elegant and beautiful. I just love the Bella she made for us, perfectly done and very sweet. Thank you tons and tons. You have no idea how special it is to me. It's also on my profile page for everyone to look at.

Again, **Nise7465** beta'ed this chapter for us. She's incredible. Updates her own ridiculously good story and still manages to look over my chapters when I spring them on her spontaneously. So a thousand thank you's to her!

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Jasper felt sickening unease— tangibly, physically_ ill_, as he watched Cullen's jaw tighten and lips straighten into sharp, harsh lines. Blazing green eyes skimmed across the news print he had just reluctantly supplied and he was relieved beyond words that Edward's unyielding rationality made it unlikely that he would be one to shoot the messenger. The sullen young man had always been reserved, his disposition somewhat cold, but still easily likeable. Whitlock had only on a handful of occasions had the misfortune of witnessing his old med school buddy _truly_ lose his temper; and in an individual that regularly harbored a heavy pulse of hostility, genuine anger made for an altogether unsettling outburst.

Edward's narrowed pupils dropped from line to line and the blonde winced as he recalled the words being read. The severity of each personal fact revealed correlated to near perfection with the deepening shade of seething red that spread up the young doctor's neck.

The article, to its credit, was quite mild and fluffed. Mainly a faux 'congratulatory' piece stating that the millionaire Seattle socialite was reportedly expecting baby number one with very young, new girlfriend, Isabella Swine.

Jasper had laughed, despite himself, at the misprint that transformed the stunning little brunette from a majestic bird to a mud dwelling piglet. It was either intentionally debauched by the paper's informant, or a truly tragic typo. Either way, it was shoddy journalism… but that was to be expected of the least respected section of the paper. It would work significantly in Button's favor.

More distressing was the rest of the article; that did little as to hide the identity of the informer. Aside from getting Bella's name wrong, the piece contained a plethora of questionably obtained information; from the age and birth month of Edward's new lover— Who, the article delighted in pointing out, wouldn't be out of her teens until September— to the exact predicted due date of the unborn Cullen heir… even revealing that the two were currently living together in Edward's uptown estate. This wasn't just some no-name that had spotted Edward holding hands with a noticeably pregnant girlfriend; someone had intentionally provided the author with concrete facts.

Jazz had seen this before… when a celebrity had come to the hospital and had the contents of his file leaked to the press. It had been a public relations disaster for the facility and he didn't think Ed was going to let this shit slide any easier this time around.

Edward's grip on the grey news print grew tighter and tighter, crumpling the edges of the paper in a way that threatened to rip the delicate page in two long before he finished the piece.

The blonde rubbed the back of his neck tensely, bracing himself for _Breakdown 2011_— not to be confused with _Breakdown 2009_, which occurred when Edward was called away from his shift to bail his older brother out of jail for drunk and disorderly charges.

"You didn't… eh, happen to tell anyone all that information…did you?" He hoped aloud.

Though really fucked up, it would be a lot smaller of an issue if it was just one of Edward's relatives running their mouths over cocktails at the country club, bragging about the new baby.

Broken from his trance, Edward slammed the paper on to the generic coffee table, immediately followed by the shocking bang of his fist as it pounded down beside it. Jazz was glad he had thought to lure the hotheaded man into the empty on call room before he broke the news.

"_No_ I did _not_ tell anyone Bella's birthday, the fact that I took an early lunch to be with her for our ultrasound, the _exact_ due date of our baby, _and_ that there was no sign of an engagement ring on her finger when she came in for her appointment," he growled out furiously, listing a pretty dramatic number of reasons the facts included weren't something that a member of his family would know or find pertinent. "_I_ didn't even know her birthday," he groaned, his head tossed back in aggravation.

Instead of the overwhelming anger Jazz had been waiting for, Edward's voice was wracked with an unexpected sadness. The sound made his gut twist uncomfortably. Whitlock had always found himself heavily affected by the emotions of those around him and his best friend was no exception.

"But she works with your sister right? I mean… she could have known those things," he suggested. "said something to someone in conversation?"

"My sister has been in the Cullen spotlight since she was a teen. She knows not to run her mouth to strangers about important family matters," he snapped angrily, "The only idiot stupid enough to cross me like this is fucking my sister-in-law, and though I don't doubt for a second that she'd do it, she's doesn't have _half_ the information _everyone in fucking Seattle_ is getting today."

Jasper swallowed nervously and slouched back into an old recliner, the polar opposite of Edward's on-the-edge-of-his-seat posture. The guy looked like he was going to run out the door and start socking people indiscriminately.

"Come on, Bro. It's not so bad. They got her fucking name wrong," he pointed out.

Edward's eyes clouded at the thought, "Right… _Swine_," he hissed distastefully, "I wonder who thought that was a wise little joke," he mused with a vengeful tenor that made it clear he was going to make their life a living hell when he found out, "That'll only last as long as it takes them to figure it out and print a retraction."

The redhead suddenly crumbled, his face buried in his hands and his elbows supporting the weight of his upper body as they rested on like pillars on his knees.

"Bella's going to lose it… She's going to freak out and she's going to leave," he mumbled low into his palms, more to himself than to his audience.

The normally easy going doctor went ridged with a trill of panic, grey eyes wide.

"Button wouldn't run out on us over this, would she?" he whispered, leaning forward for the answer. Cullen shot him a glare that could scare the fleas off a mutt and he immediately corrected himself, "Eh- I mean _you_… She wouldn't leave you over this shit, right? It's just a stupid article."

"_Button,_" Edward muttered under his breath with a shake of his head.

"My _Bella_ left everything behind, her family… _friends_," he growled with bitter enthusiasm and Jasper knew instinctively that he was thinking about the Jake guy Button had told him about the night before, "with nothing but her piece of shit truck and a brand new pregnancy— to keep them from finding out about the baby. You seriously think she wouldn't leave my ass if being with me meant they'd all read about her in the fucking paper?"

Edward was seriously bumming Jazz the fuck out. He'd put a great deal of effort into getting the tiny girl to like him and had grown quite attached in the process. She'd even agreed to go motorcycle shopping with him, after he learned that one of the things she missed most about home was working on her old bike with her ex. He'd been meaning to buy one for months but Ed said they were death traps and refused to go with him.

She couldn't just… _leave_.

"I'm supposed to be taking care of her…" Edward murmured.

"So take fucking care of it, fucker," Jazz pressed like it was the easiest thing in the world, keeping facts out of major new papers, "Call up the douche bag that wrote this article with illegally obtained information and throw your weight around so she stays 'Isabella Swine'," his voice nearly cracked with a threat of laughter. _Swine, heh_, "or even easier, pay her off. What do those dudes make forty grand a year? You're just a Cullen brat, not the goddamn president. You could pad pockets better than any story they'd print about you."

Edward stopped really paying attention at _illegally obtained information_. His distress at the idea of losing the most important thing in his life was temporally channeled into rage at the vendetta he had against someone in his department.

He felt like he could easily fucking kill someone at that point.

Jasper scrambling out of his chair, surprised by how quickly his friend had made it to his feet, and darted out of the room. He nearly tripped over the low coffee table in a desperate effort to pursue.

"Hey, Ed… Where we goin'?" he asked nervously; not completely able to keep the alarm out of his voice.

_Shit, Cullen was finally going to snap and strangle one of those damn nurses. _Jazz tried to calculate their chance of sneaking a body into the morgue without anyone noticing, but didn't like their odds.

Edward didn't even break stride as he walked purposefully down the hall, the paper rolled tightly in his clenched fist. "Aro's office."

The Texan perked up significantly and strutted onwards with a bit of a skip in his step. That was one murder he'd willingly do time for being an accessory to.

Dr. Cullen didn't bother knocking as he blew through his boss's closed door; he was absolutely the only person in the building that could get away with doing so without receiving a lengthy reprimand about respecting administration from the shady middle aged man that had a terribly warped sense of self-importance.

The greasy haired individual behind the desk looked up with an expression of deep annoyance until he recognized his cash cow. Jasper puffed up his chest and scowled impressively, the epitome of manliness… _behind_ the intimidating redhead.

"Edward! My boy!" Dr. Volturi greeted with a warm smile, standing in respect. He spared a dismissive glance in the other man's direction, "_Whitlock_," he added with a gruff nod, "What can I do for you this morning, son?"

Jazz snorted.

In no mood to play nice, Bella's vengeful protector walked forward and tossed the open paper across the expensive mahogany desk, none-too gently. "Have you seen this yet?" Edward's smooth voice questioned evenly.

Aro sat back down and looked over the first few lines before smiling, "Ah! Yes as a matter of fact I did. Not a section I typically indulge in but my wife pointed it out over breakfast."

"She can read?" Jazz questioned, managing to look thoroughly impressed. "All by herself?"

The older man bristled but didn't get the opportunity to address the insult against his trophy bride before Edward continued.

"This article was written with information taken from my girlfriend's file. There's no other possible alternative. Her birth date, address, and the due date of our baby. No one else was privy to that."

Volturi paled immediately, an impressive feat, considering the already rice paper-like complexion that stretched across his serpentine features. He leaned back in his leather chair, significantly more business like.

"That is a very serious accusation, Dr. Cullen," his throat cleared hoarsely, "There must be another explana- "

"_No. There isn't_," he was interrupted with ice cold impatience, "And you're going to figure out who is exposing my family to the press by the end of the day."

Aro's demeanor noticeably hardened at being made demands of, but the experienced business man maintained his composure. "Surely you know how difficult it is to prove this sort of thing… let alone weed out the individual responsible."

"_This sort of thing _happens when you choose the staff based on cup size," Edward snarled; handsome, intelligent and more formidable than just about anyone in the world at that moment, "But you _are_ going to find out who did this and you're going to blackball them from stepping foot in any hospital in this state as an employee… Which is far better than they deserve."

Jasper grunted in agreement, again, several feet behind his large, fuming friend.

Aro eyed Edward warily, resigned, "And if I'm unable to do so?"

"Then I'll find the proof myself, and hand it straight over to our family attorney before I hand in my resignation.

"I don't want to put you or this hospital in a bad position, Aro, and I'm not asking a lot, but if you don't punish who ever was giving out private information on my _pregnant girlfriend_ I'll encourage her to go to the press and let them know just how secure the medical files here are…"

Edward bluffed with no sign of his lie. Going to the media about anything would only exacerbate the situation and put Bella in the spot light. He couldn't really _do_ anything without pushing his girl further away from him but he refused to let it go.

"Just turn them against each other, Dr. V," Jazz offered, registering the overwhelmed look on the older man's face.

He dug through a bowl of M&M's on the desk in search of all red ones, scattering other colors over the side like a child bored by adult conversation, "If they were stupid enough to talk to a reporter they were stupid enough to mention it to someone else. Tell them if they don't out the guilty party, they'll all lose their jobs. They wouldn't know loyalty if it hit 'em in the face," he laughed, thinking about the catty gals in the front office with a mild fondness. He wondered if he'd been sleeping with the enemy.

Aro nodded, sneering as his candy was brutally violated. "I'll see what I can do," he sighed.

"I appreciate it," Edward gave a quick nod, as if that man was doing him a favor instead of placating his threats, "I'm taking the morning off. I have to see my father about alternative arrangements for the duration of our pregnancy," he turned on his heel and walked briskly out of the room, leaving Aro to glare resentfully at the empty door frame.

Jasper, who was busy enjoying free chocolate that _really did_ melt in his mouth instead of his hands, took several seconds to realize he was in his boss's office without his Cullen shaped shield. Never a good thing when the guy that cut his paychecks was so pissed his eye was twitching. He puffed himself up like a trapped animal, trying to look as large as possible to the looming predator.

"Yes," he cleared his throat roughly, "… I'll be taking the mornin' off as well," the blonde tried replicating Edward famously smooth and assured tone to the best of his ability, thwarted by his southern accent.

Aro's black eyes narrowed with rage, his face a humorous shade of puce "The hell you will, Whitlock! Get your ass back out there before I fire it!"

Jazz scrambled out of the small office, cackling all the way. He slammed the door behind himself just in time to avoid the bowl of tiny, brightly colored candies that shattered against the other side of it, level with his head.

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The large building that held the Cullen private practice was stunning. A gift to her husband and one of the first designs Esme took on after her birds had left the nest, it was a contemporary, concrete and glass, masterpiece. Even Edward, who had outright refused a position at the office on several occasions, was always awed while walking into the bright and cheerful lobby. Not only was everything immaculately clean, it had none of the institutional feel that was synonymous with hospitals.

Edward wanted to kick himself as he made his way to the reception desk. This was where he should have brought Bella to begin with, where her and their baby could receive the best care on the west coast in the most desirable practice. Carrying the head physician's grandchild, she'd be doted on constantly. He had been selfish, wanting her in the care of his own facility where she'd be close.

There was a full waiting area and several people working at the front since Carlisle shared his practice with several other renowned doctors, each with their own exclusive following of patients. Most turned to watch the handsome man enter the room, a combination of individuals that recognized him mixed with others that were drawn to his beauty and poise. He gratefully locked eyes with the only woman he was familiar with, his father's personal secretary, as she finished up a phone call.

"Edward!" Maggie squealed and bounced to her feet, employing surprising dexterity. With graying hair and deep laugh lines, she was an attractive older woman that probably would have started her retirement several years before if Carlisle didn't use the full extent of his twinkly eyed charm to guilt trip her every attempt to leave him. She was a close friend of the family and someone Edward quite liked.

Much to his embarrassment, she reached over the counter and pinched the skin of his cheek, knowing full well he'd let her get away with it.

"Oh dear, such a handsome boy but it's a miracle I can even recognize you, with how little you come to visit us," she gave him a stern glare.

He rubbed at the slightly stinging spot and tried not to look as guilty as he felt. Edward rarely visited his father's building. It most often ended in everyone showing off the state of the art equipment and a beautiful, empty office that would be his, should he choose to claim it.

He gave her his best smile and the old bag softened immediately. "I'm sorry Miss Maggie, you know how busy I get…"

She beamed, "We've heard! A baby! Edward, that's wonderful," she crooned loudly, turning several heads. "You know your father hadn't even told us? We had to read it in the paper this morning," the woman frowned, her hands on her hips with the signature posture of a displeased mother, "I don't think he wanted anyone to know that he's old enough for grandbabies. The man thinks he can still pass for a twenty year old…"

"My mom humors him," Edward muttered dryly, meeting the eyes of each eavesdropper until they looked away and went on with their business. Obviously, the cat was out of the bag, but that didn't mean he was going to allow the damn thing to run all over the place.

"We didn't even know you were seeing anyone. I'm so happy for you, hon" Maggie smiled sweetly at him, lowering her voice after sensing his discomfort with a wink.

He grinned back politely and gave a generic, but true, reply, "Bella's wonderful. The pregnancy was a surprise but neither one of us could be happier about it."

He thought he saw a look of… annoyance cross the cheerful little woman's face but it was gone so fast he second guessed himself.

"Well it's about time, dear. Carlisle's not the only one that's getting a little long in the tooth," she giggled, reaching over and squeezing his hand playfully.

Edward scowled. He was _not_ old.

"So to what do we owe this pleasure?" Maggie hummed, plopping back down into her chair before he could voice his indignation.

"I was hoping to speak with my father, if he's available, but I also wanted to make an appointment with one of his colleagues for my girlfriend. It seems my facility isn't a good fit for her," he tried to keep the acid out of his voice but it was difficult, "Does anyone have room for us on their schedules?"

She looked at him curiously but didn't press, "Well no one in the building is accepting new patents at the moment but you must know that you're an exception, Edward," she laughed lightly, like he was asking the most ridiculous question imaginable, "I know they'd all be honored to look after her. Pick a doctor with Carlisle, then come see me, dear. I'll pencil her in."

This cheered him up significantly. If he could prove to Bella that he'd made other arrangements; safe, secure plans for her care, then maybe it would be easier to convince her she could stay without risk. He nodded gratefully.

The phone beside her started ringing and the woman waved him a dismissal as she reached to answer it. "Your dad's with a patient but he should be out shortly. Why don't you go have a seat in his office, give him a nice surprise?"

The young doctor muttered in agreement, feeling like a child that was visiting his father's work place after school, before setting off in the direction he believed Carlisle's office to be. Maggie snapped her fingers loudly before he got too far, still chatting professionally with someone on the phone, and rolled her eyes as she pointed him down a hallway on the opposite side of the room.

Edward's ears tinted pink as he tried to subtly turn completely around and not look like an idiot. He told himself that the office had been moved, but the truth was that it had been so long since he stopped by, that he'd probably just forgotten.

The room behind the door that was plated with a gold 'Dr. Carlisle Cullen' would be the envy of any professional. It was dressed with warm, masculine furnishings and a wall full of priceless art the couple had collected during various travels. Edward calculated that he could probably fit several hundred of his tiny work lockers into the lavish space and felt a small pang of jealousy.

Edward wanted it all... _bad_. He just wanted to earn it for himself and not by riding out that Cullen coattail.

He grinned disobediently as he sat behind Carlisle's massive cherry wood desk and made himself at home in the most comfortable chair he'd ever had the pleasure of lowering his rear into. Even toed off his shoes and kicked his feet up next to a computer and a stack of books.

There were quite a few framed photos, all of their family at various stages. Edward's lips curled when he spied a picture of Alice at her senior prom, covered in pink and standing proudly beside a terrified looking kid in an ill fitting suit. She was an overwhelming little force, even then.

One of the pictures was of Edward and Esme, right after he'd joined the Cullen brood. He recognized himself easily but all he could _really_ see was a miserable, lost seventeen year old boy, even though his younger likeness was forcing a smile for the sake of his new mother.

He picked up an image directly in front of him and examined it closely. This one was of him and Carlisle and had a prominent position in a more extravagant frame. He and his mentor were poised together at a dinner that was thrown to honor his graduation from med school. Both men were beaming into the camera and he could remember feeling incredibly proud when the moment was frozen on film; accomplished and fulfilled but still frighteningly alone in the world, even while surrounded by friends and family.

Especially while surrounded by friends and family.

Though they seemed so foreign now, with Bella in his life and a new baby to look forward to— his very own family, just over a month ago that feeling of obligatory happiness had been his staple in youth and adulthood.

He couldn't imagine the pain he would feel if she ever left, now that he knew what it was like to have someone worth succeeding for because he wanted to and not because he felt obligated to.

"Feels good doesn't it? Maybe something you can see yourself getting used to?"

Edward's head shot up startled, and he hastily put the picture back in place as his father walked into the office with a wide, flawless smile. The imperial blonde hardly looked as though he were working at all, with only his white lab coat to covering his sharp designer button up and slacks. Edward pulled self-consciously at the scrub top he had left over his jeans. If there was one person in his life he always sought to impress; it was his father. He just hadn't had much to change into when he left work in such a hurry.

"What was that?" he asked, having not paid attention to the words but aware the other man had said something.

Carlisle glance pointedly at Edward's relaxed position behind his overly large desk, the pair of sock clad feet resting next to his pricey MacBook. He sat down across from his son in one of the few smaller seats normally reserved for patients or visitors, "Just that you look quite at home here," the blonde shrugged, but couldn't knock his smug smile. "It's nice to see you, son. You should have called and told me you were coming in. Have you been waiting long?"

"Not at all. I saw Mags on my way in. Nice lady," Edward picked up a carved stone paper weight and leaned back in the chair, throwing it high above his head and swiping it out of the air before it came down on his face.

Carlisle rolled his eyes indulgently. The boy was going to give himself a concussion. "Don't let her fool you. She's been complaining all morning about the fifty bucks she lost on an office bet."

"What was the bet on?" Edward asked for the sake of relevance, green eyes on the stone. Up, down. Up, down.

"Your sexual orientation. She was positive you were not much interested in... child making."

The rock fell into the young man's lap with a painful 'thwack'. That would certainly explain that moment of discontent when he had spoken about Bella.

"Who the hell did she bet against?" he asked, offended.

The handsome blonde beamed as he pulled a crisp fifty dollar bill out of his breast pocket and held it out proudly. No sign of shame, "Cool, right? I've never won one of these things before," he tugged the note fondly, and mused, "Maybe I'll frame it."

Edward grumbled but couldn't hold back a reluctant laugh. At least his father didn't think he was living a double life.

"So you read today's Society pages?" he skipped to his point, anxious to discuss the morning's setback with the man who always managed to provide him peace of mind and direction.

Carlisle's face turned solemn. He folded his winnings and tucked it back in his pocket. "Couldn't have missed it if I wanted to, son. The house phone started ringing off the hook offensively early." Edward looked at him questioningly and the blonde rolled his eyes, "Your mother's club friends."

The younger man winced, "I'm sorry. I hadn't thought what trouble this might cause you and mom."

It wasn't really a huge concern of his— that his parents might get some heat for his actions from their self-righteous peers, but he thought it polite to pretend.

Carlisle shook his head, "Esme's never been so popular, all those women inviting her over for the latest gossip," he joked good-naturedly, "Apart from a few sniffs about you two being unmarried, it was mostly well-wishers."

"It was someone from my office, we think. That went to the papers…"

Edward watched his father turn slightly pink, a decidedly guilty expression. "I realized as much from the content. I made the mistake of jumping to a false conclusion after skimming the headline this morning…" he mumbled, very un-Carlisle.

Edward knew what he was referring to. "I thought it was Rose too, at first, but she doesn't know any of those things about Bella and the baby. The papers and her aren't friendly either, after that mess last year," he admitted grudgingly.

The article broadcasting Rosalie's fertility problems, and interest that followed, was the result of her confiding in an untrustworthy friend and had been a humiliating blow for her. He had felt bad for the blonde at the time— now though, he was willing to chalk it up to cosmic vengeance. It was strange how he'd never let Rosalie's behavior offend him until he had a girl of his own to protect. Edward had once felt a secret kinship with his hardened sister-in-law, detesting her greed but understand her inability to connect.

"And she's been in Portland since Monday morning," Carlisle added tensely.

"How do you know that?" Edward didn't _really _think his parents would cut ties with his brother but he'd hoped that they'd at least give him a few days of silent treatment after the way he'd treated the new member of the Cullen family.

His father sighed, "Like I said… I made the mistake of reading only the first few lines before my temper got the best of me. I'm afraid I called your brother and started making accusations," he admitted dryly.

Edward laughed. He was still too angry with Emmett to feel badly about such a misunderstanding and was more than a little honored that his father would stick his neck out for Bella like that. The Cullen patriarch was extremely non-confrontational, especially with his children.

"You're kidding."

Carlisle shook his head, still looking as though he could kick himself for his mistake. "Unfortunately, not. Over my threats to cut his inheritance, he managed to yell that his wife had left to stay with her parents after a fight they had that night, before promptly hanging up on me."

Edward's green eyes widened. "She left him?"

"From what your mother managed to gather from her call to apologize for my behavior," Carlisle's rolled his eyes at mention of his wife's constant need to keep everyone peaceful, "It sounded more like Emmett asked her to leave. I know you don't think he was in your corner the other night… but your brother would never allow someone to hurt you, not even his wife."

"I'm not going to talk about this," the redhead declared firmly, "I have much more important priorities to concern myself with."

Truly, he'd love to see Rose and his brother divorce, if for no other reason than to see the look on the blonde's face when she realized, that despite living lavishly during their marriage, she'd be leaving the union without a penny more than she entered it with. The house, the cars… they were all in Edward's name. Emmett himself had nothing and one can not get blood out of turnips, no matter how great of an attorney daddy bought her.

"…Thank you though, for sticking up for us," he added.

Carlisle grinned at his favorite son, "Yes, well… when your mother finally ejects me from my home, I'll be looking to you for accommodations."

"Bella and I would be delighted to have you. We thought we were going to have to hire a nanny," he quipped back.

"How is she handling all this?" his father asked, almost hesitantly.

He dropped his gaze, choosing to study the grain of the desk instead of meeting his mentor's eye. Carlisle always knew what to do to keep his wife secure and happy. Edward couldn't imagine that he'd ever just be able to innately _know_ exactly what needed to be done to keep his woman pleased the way his father did, but he hoped it was something that could be learned through experience and time.

"I haven't spoken with her yet," he admitted, suddenly uncertain. "I wanted to be able to promise her I had taken care of the situation before we discussed it."

Carlisle didn't make any terrible or sympathetic sound to suggest that he had severely fucked up so he allowed himself to relax just slightly.

"And what does that entail?"

Edward sighed, "Making sure the person that did this is held responsible, finding her a new doctor," he made a grand sweeping motion to indicated the building around him, "I need to contact the paper that make sure that her actual name isn't printed."

Carlisle did frown at that, "To assure her privacy?"

Surely, that ship had sailed.

"To assure she isn't found," he corrected under his breath, "She's only from a town a few hours away. No one knows about the child, or where she is. Both of us have been endeavoring to keep it that way."

The stately blonde refined his posture, turning his appearance from a man that was thrilled to receive an unexpected visit from a friend, to that of a father, concerned for his beloved son.

He looked at Edward levelly, "Was she abused? Afraid?"

"No," her young partner admitted. Bella showed no signs of a neglectful childhood, quick to trust and eager to connect. Everything she had ever said about the family she left behind was positive.

"So before her pregnancy, Bella was other wise content with her life there?"

Edward thought of her breakup with Jacob Black. It had caused strife towards the end, but he was safely able to guess that it was purely fear of humiliating her father— a leader in a judgmental little community— and hurting her friend-turn-fiancé that made her leave.

"As far as I can tell."

Blue eyes studied him carefully, "I can understand why an embarrassed, young girl might make the rash decision to hide away from the people that care about her… but I can't imagine why _you_ would feel the need to encourage that."

Edward didn't much care for the accusatory edge to the other Cullen's voice. He felt his defensiveness creep up— the volatile urge to strike at the first sign of threat to his and Isabella's unconventional relationship.

"I want what she wants. Bella needed to leave the past behind her and start new. I can make that happen for her," he squared his broad shoulders against the impressive leather chair.

Carlisle brow lifted, "Son, surely you can see that isolating herself from her friends and family isn't the solution she hopes it will be," he guided hopefully.

"We've already had this conversation," the quickly souring man snapped. "Anything she needs, wants, I can get for her. No one else in the world is as eager to make sure Bella is taken care of."

"I believe it," Carlisle conceded with out backing down. He firmly believed his son's attachment to the stunning girl would grant her anything in Edward's power to provide, "You can hand Bella anything her heart desires, be her best friend, her lover… but when the baby's ready to come, and she's scared to death and yearning for her own mother like every woman that has ever visited the birthing bed, what then?"

Edward's handsome face paled.

"You can't be her mother, son. And when the two of you have your first big fight, and trust me… it'll come, you can't be the father she'll need cry to and receive comfort from until he's restored her faith in the male persuasion."

"But you can…" Edward muttered delicately, a near plea. He felt his chest _ache_ at the idea of his Bella needing people that could coax her away from him. "You and mom, you can be that for her."

The older man softened, "And I imagine we'd be as good a substitute as we were for Elizabeth, son."

Edward's lids closed for just a moment as he adjusted to the rush of guilt that flowed through him. Even with the certain knowledge that Carlisle hadn't said it to be spiteful, he'd always felt badly about making them— Esme especially— feel as though they were a poor substitute for his real mother. He was already at the cusp of adulthood when she had passed, and he'd felt her loss terribly.

"You and Esme were never _not enough_," he insisted hoarsely, eyes barely brave enough to rise from his lap.

His father shrugged as though it was an already accepted fact, but took pride in Edward's rarely given declaration. The gentle leader of the Cullen family looked over his successful son pensively.

"Edward, you know your mother and I will do anything to make Bella feel comfortable in our family," he vowed without difficulty. Edward's beautiful companion was easy to love. "And I can see why you'd feel the compulsion to keep her to yourself…"

Carlisle leaned forward, meeting the younger man's gaze with resigned trepidation. He wouldn't try to force Edward to do anything that would push the boy away just when he was showing signs of wanting to accept their support and love, but it pained him to know that the Cullen's were gaining a lovely daughter and much anticipated grandchild at the expense of someone else's shattered family.

The blonde couldn't imagine the agony of not knowing where Alice was, if she was happy, safe. But he wisely suspected his possessive son wouldn't be able to empathize with Isabella's father until he held is own tiny child in his arms.

"She's a good woman, and I know you care about her and the child a great deal. I just hope you realize that loving someone means doing what's best for _her_, instead of what's best for _you and her_."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

His girl smiled brilliantly at him when he found her curled up in his library with a book and a cozy blanket she'd dragged from their bedroom, her gorgeous face alight so sweetly it nearly dissolved the effects of the irritation and worry that had plagued him throughout the day. When Bella registered his ashen, anxious expression though, she quickly set down the small paperback and stared at him with alarm.

"Edward?" she asked softly. "Are you alright?"

She didn't get up— weary from a busy day working with Alice and the light fatigue of pregnancy— instead, patting the cushion next to her in invitation. Also tired, and eager to be close to her, the handsome redhead clambered into the room and into the couch.

He didn't answer her immediately, but managed to make her giggle and relax when he plopped down and sank his head in her lap. Edward pressed a kiss onto the very bottom of her rounded belly and ran his nose gently across the hardened flesh exposed beneath the hem of her top, earning his elation and her happy sigh.

"Long day?" she guessed, scratching her dull nails across his scalp divinely.

He rolled onto his back, still partially in her lap despite his comparatively massive size, and peered up at her carefully. She didn't look nearly as upset or worried as he had anticipated… Not upset at all, in fact. Edward could admit to himself that he was a coward for not calling her earlier to make sure she was alright, but he had been petrified to hear her immediate reaction to the news. It was startling how such a small creature could have so much power over him.

"Did you see the article?" he asked, forlorn. If she had, he didn't want to wait around for the subject to come up and if she hadn't, it would be his unpleasant task to inform her.

The brunette's expression turned noticeably tight— her nervous lover was able to see it regardless of the awkward angle and his large body went ridged in fearful anticipation. He'd hoped if she'd been truly upset by the media attention that his sister would have called to give him a heads up.

"Eh, yeah I did… Alice, you know?" she said by way of explanation. Bella brushed the hair back from his forehead rhythmically, the affection as comforting to her as it was to its recipient.

"It was one of the nurses," he grounded out the information he had been given upon his return to the hospital that afternoon with restrained anger and guilt, "She didn't realize how quiet we were keeping the pregnancy and how closely they were going to quote the information she gave them. She obviously didn't think she'd be caught…

"She's been let go," he added tersely.

Jazz had made sure the woman was removed before Edward reentered the facility, avoiding a scene. The other nurses had turned on her with very little prompting. The woman had not kept much from her traitorous friends, even laughing about omitting Bella's real name, a dig meant to make the innocent female feel insignificant.

"_Oh_," was her frighteningly short reply.

Edward sat up to look at her, abandoning the attempt at semi-nonchalance he'd hoped would get them through the conversation with as little stress as possible. Bella's gaze was suddenly glued directly to her wringing little hands but she didn't pull away when he scooted her into his side and put a reverent hand over her swollen middle.

"Is that why you're so upset?" she whispered tentatively.

His brow furrowed, confused as to how she could possible believe that sort of incident _wouldn't_ bother him, "Of course, Bella. A slip at _my own_ hospital, the whole of Seattle reading about things that are absolutely none of their business," he hissed at the thought, trying to keep his anger down while he was holding something too delicate in his arms.

"I found you another doctor," he added in a quickly, "He's from my father's practice; they've been friends since college. He's trustworthy… Everyone in the building has been handpicked by Carlisle…"

He felt her nod gently against his chest, "I'm sorry, Edward. I know this must be… very embarrassing for you," she squeaked out in a tiny voice.

Edward balked. Again, the couple seemed to be on two completely separate pages because of his inexperience. He lifted a hand to cup her cheek and tilt her shy face until she was forced to see his incredulity.

"_God, baby_, I'm not upset that everyone knows," he corrected fervently, "I adore you, Bella, the baby too. I'm _not_ ashamed to have you both in my life; I just can't stand the idea of someone violating your privacy like that, someone I was supposed to be able to trust."

It made him sick that strangers had entertained themselves with private information about their relationship, about their _child. _Even worse, was the chance that someone who wasn't a stranger at all would read it, Bella's father or her pining ex boyfriend, someone that might see the article for what it was and try to take her back to Fork's.

Her huge brown eyes peeked up, hopeful, "Really?"

"Sweetheart," he groaned, "I'd tell everyone in the world that you're mine if I could," he told her honestly. He'd never made any pretense about his feelings for Bella, even when they had been new, unexplainable, and not entirely comfortable to him. He was old enough to acknowledge a treasure when he found one, "But keeping you here, with me, is more important. I'll do whatever it takes. "

She frowned, "Why would I go anywhere else?"

Edward clamped his mouth shut quickly and did a fine job of keeping his indecision off his face. He allowed the impulse to speak to her truthfully war with his more self-serving urges. If the concern that people might recognize her from the article hadn't occurred to her, he wasn't eager to put the idea in her head and cause trouble for himself.

"I don't want you to think that I'm not capable of taking care of you," he shared half his concern, softly against her cloth covered shoulder. "If you had been with anyone else this wouldn't be an issue."

Bella shook her head to dispel the notion, horrified that he was even capable of thinking that of her after the night they spent together. She took his large hand in hers a squeezed it gently until he obliged and looked up at her.

"I wasn't safe before you, Edward. How could I possibly hold you accountable for a breach in the security I wouldn't even have, if you hadn't given it to me?" she pointed out, curling deeper into his side, as if to reaffirm that it was him that made her feel secure, untouchable.

His chest warmed with the heady sense of importance and pride that hit him every time she looked at him that way. Edward had, for all of his adult life, experienced women's glances of lust or even shallow adoration, but the weight of those liquid brown eyes when they were filled so much trust— willing to give him a stake in her life and of the most important thing she'd ever do, the protection of her child— nothing made him feel like more of a man.

He pressed the flat of his palm into the striated muscles of her lower back and she let out a low, satisfied groan. Even in the midst of a very serious conversation for the couple, the young man couldn't help but compare the sound to the beautiful little noises he had earned from her the night before.

When he had kissed her goodbye as he left for work, his every thought had been on the end of his shift, when he'd be able to come home and do everything in his power to coax her into a repeat performance. The fact that his intimate homecoming had been spoiled was another reason he wanted the nurse dead.

"I don't want your life here to require compromises," he murmured pausing for a beat to press his lips against her forehead dotingly. "This was inexcusable."

He'd worked hard all his life, done everything to the best of his ability and had seem mainly success because of it. He deserved to be able to make his girl's life perfect if that was the only thing he wanted from his efforts, but it felt like he was constantly scrambling to make up for the places he fell short.

Edward had allowed his brother to stay in his guest house for a full two weeks after Rose put his out for forgetting their anniversary, had seen his sister pass on a relationship because the guy routinely bought super market flowers instead of the pricey, florist variety. Though he knew wholeheartedly that Bella wasn't so petty, he had learned from field experience that women could be fickle creatures. With his woman currently pregnant, there was no predicting her reactions. He wasn't about to lose her over anything in his power to prevent.

She bit her lip softly, a tiny furrow between her brows as she studied him closely. It seemed very much like the little thing could pick his doubts and concerns straight out of his head.

"You're not responsible for everything that goes wrong, Edward," she laughed lightly.

"I don't want you to leave," he nearly whispered, "I don't want you to think that you'd be better off anywhere else, baby."

Her face softened with a look of such pity he flushed with embarrassment.

"I'm not going to run the moment things get inconvenient. You aren't expendable to me," she reassured him with sincerity that nicked at his unwillingness to get his hopes up when it came to his confidence in her permanence in his life. "I'm not here because it's a better option than a shelter any more, Edward. I want to be here… _with you_."

The shy pink of her cheeks before she hid her warm face in his chest told him that she wasn't as comfortable in admitting her attachment as her partner was, but was doing so because she wanted to make _him_ feel secure. After the way things had ended with her ex— a relationship she had once expected to spend the rest of her life in— he could understand why she'd be more careful about believing his promises and commitment.

He let a small grin pull at the corners of her lips, forsaking the conversation's thick tenor that was making her noticeably nervous for the lightheartedness that came so easily whenever the small beauty was in his arms.

Edward tucked his large hands carefully under her thighs and lifted her tiny body onto his lap. She had on a bright summer dress— short but loose in a way she had taken to dressing to hide the swell of the growing baby while working around Alice's nosey employees. His touch felt obscene against her bare skin but after their night of love making he was unwilling to allow the physical headway they'd made in their relationship to revert back.

His love huffed lightly at being manipulated like a doll but still settled into her rightful perch.

"Is that so? What is it about me you can't live without?" he asked with a smug smile, sliding his hands along smooth skin to cup her mostly-bare bottom lewdly.

Bella's eyes grew impossibly large before she broke out with a lovely trill of laughter. "It's definitely not your unyielding subtlety." She flicked the tip of his nose.

Her punishing little finger tip hurt, though his pride refused to allow him a wince.

Edward growled playfully before leaning in and kissing the sarcastic smile right off her face.

"I thought about you all day," she confessed bashfully when the couple parted for air.

They hunched against each other intimately, like neither could independently support the weight of their own body without their counterpart. Edward never thought he'd be one of _those_ couples, or that it would be the key to his happiness.

"I think about you all day, every day," he joked with far more truth than he'd care to admit.

She blushed appealingly for him and his hold on her backside tightened.

"I meant that I was thinking about you and me… of us, last light," Bella corrected. He hummed approvingly and she fixed him with a blazing gaze. "_I was thinking that I'd like to do that again._"

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

_It was three days later when the call came. _

Bella was making a valiant effort to start dinner, keeping a sharp eye out as Edward skirted around the kitchen. Periodically, he'd sneak forward to touch the busy little female but was just as often sent back to his isolated stool with a reprimand for trying to distract her.

He even went as far as to volunteer to wash dishes in an attempt to earn his way a bit closer, but she had simply moved her preparation to the marble island on the other side of the space; on to his tricks.

Edward waited until she had put down the chopping knife and began tossing a colorful salad before padding towards her soundlessly. Before the beautiful woman had realized he'd even moved, his arms were wrapped around her waist, vice like, to prevent escape. He congratulated himself with an open mouthed kiss to her neck while she groaned.

"_Edward_," she sighed, "It's taking me twice as long to get anything done with you on my back like this," she muttered, disapproving, but still indulgently lifted a crouton over her head for him to sample.

Aro had given him a few days off, studiously trying to prevent a law suit, scandal, or worse… the star physician's resignation, and Dr. Cullen was using his spontaneous vacation to follow Bella's every waking moment. It had been, without doubt, the _least_ productive, _most_ enjoyable, few days of his life.

He chewed the bit of bread gratefully before dipping down to nip at the expanse of pale throat exposed by her messy bun.

"I'd like to see how long it takes with _you_ on your back," the virile young man suggested in a low croon.

For all of Bella's determination to not see another box of take out in her home, she melted with a whimper of a moan under the pads of his roaming fingers.

"What about dinner?" she wavered, even as Edward felt her body begging her to react to his touch.

Any other woman would have locked herself in one of the bedrooms and refused to let him anywhere near her after the uninterrupted time the couple had spent together, but Bella was holding her own with enough enthusiasm to have turned her novice sexual status into quite the talented lover. He was certain at this point that youth and pregnancy made for an ideal physical partner.

"Chinese sounds good to me," he grinned.

She was going to stop resisting… Edward could tell by the way she stretched herself languidly back into his chest, her sweet exhale of surrender.

The horrid ring of the house phone cut through their moment like butter under a knife.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck…" he started cursing as he felt her try to pull back, "Let the machine get it, love," he held onto her curvy hips desperately, "We're busy."

She slapped lightly at his chest until he finally released her and took a step back. "_I'm_ busy. _You're_ not," she corrected with a clearly triumphant laugh, "Go get the phone, Edward."

He snuck a kiss and had to sprint into the living room to find the cordless on time, buried under a pillow where he had left it when he'd canceled her engagements with Alice during the days he'd been given off.

He didn't hide his irritation at being interrupted when he answered the line with a curt, "Hello?" If it was Jasper calling to chat with Bella again, he'd kill him.

There were several seconds of silence on the other line and Edward was an instant away from hanging up when he heard masculine throat clear gruffly.

"Is Isabella Swan available?"

Edward's blood ran cold.

He instantly knew it was a trick question, highly suspecting a reporter that had not only managed to somehow discover Bella's real name, but had also miraculously gotten a hold of Edward's number. They'd call and ask with practiced nonchalance, hoping he'd unknowingly confirm the girl's name by answering without thinking. Only… the voice on the other line didn't sound anything like the smooth, confident tones of the media he had dealt with in the past. The male caller seemed gravelly, tired, and extremely unsure of himself to Edward's skilled ears.

"_Excuse me_?" he snapped with an artificial pulse of confusion, prompting more information but giving nothing away.

Another pause had Edward's panic growing until there was a loud sigh into the receiver.

"I- eh- listen…" the caller faltered frantically.

At that exact moment, he _knew, _beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he wasn't currently speaking to some benign, pesky reporter. His entire six-foot frame went numb. The gut wrenching sensation of watching a train wreck happen right in front of his eyes— devastating and unavoidable.

He almost hung up, the urge to scavenge more time was stifling, but his body seemed incapable of even that small movement.

"This is Dr. Cullen? Dr. Edward Cullen?"

"Yes," he allowed.

"This is Chief Swan from the Forks cit-" Bella's father stopped himself, both he and Edward aware that making the call sound like official police business when it clearly wasn't could bring big consequences, "I'm-This is Charlie Swan."

Before the petrified redhead could come up with a game plan, or even manage something semi-coherent, his girlfriend's father hurried on like he was afraid to be hung up on.

"A few days ago, there was an article in _The Times_ about you. The name wasn't right, and the circumstances… they don't make any sense," Charlie breathed out slowly, a man that knew he was on a fool's errand. "But you aren't far from us and the age- it's exactly the same… Twenty in September.

"I was just wondering if there was anyway- if maybe the paper had it wrong and your Isabella Swine could be my daughter… _Bella Swan_."

Edward's grip on the phone was slick but white-knuckle tight. He could hear _Bella_ _Swan_ moving through his kitchen, could picture her strutting around happily— tiny sweat pants and little bare feet— completely oblivious that the public figure she chose as a mate had led the life she'd tried to leave behind right to her.

Charlie Swan had figured it out but was wrong about one thing. She wasn't _his_ Bella anymore, she was _Edward's_, and until she _wanted_ to go back to the people she felt she had to hide the baby from, he had zero intention of handing them over.

Without even a pang of desire to stop himself, and with no thoughts of possible repercussions, Edward slipped into a professional demeanor and continued the call as though the man on the other line was entirely foreign to him.

"How did you get this number?" he wanted to know, his tone not impolite, but audibly disinterested by the chief's previous explanation.

Edward was sure his number was as hard to get as any top celebrity and was willing to bet that the man had pulled a great number of strings to get it. Even with the power of a police officer, Charlie no doubt found the paper and the featured hospital on lockdown when it came to giving out information about Bella after he'd used his Cullen influence to choke both sources.

"I- I'd rather not say," the older man forced an uneasy chuckle, unenthusiastic about admitting his violation of privacy.

Edward didn't press, "I'm just sorry that you went through the trouble. I'm afraid the information _The Times_ dredged up on us was all obnoxiously accurate," he lied smoothly, feigning just the right amount of indignation.

He couldn't breath during the few moments of quite that came from across the line. He half expected the man to call him out as a liar, thought fleetingly that Charlie Swan would somehow _innately_ sense that he was a hair's breath away from his missing daughter.

But when the old police chief spoke again, it was with resignation.

The man had no reason to second guess the end of his obscure lead. "I- right. I expected as much."

Edward pretended, to himself, that he didn't hear palpable disappointment in the man's baritone voice.

"It was worth a shot," he muttered on, embarrassed, "I'm sorry for wasting your time, Doctor. I- well, congratulations…"

The male Swan hung up without another word from the man he took for an annoyed stranger.

Edward stood glued to the spot, the dial tone buzzing brutally in his ear like the embodiment of the finality of what he'd just done. He tried to feel remorse, but all he could find was an over whelming sense of relief that he'd managed to dodge a bullet that could have taken his new found purpose away from him.

If Charlie knew about the baby, she'd have someone else to take care of her. She wouldn't need the man that she'd only known for such a brief period of time if she had the support of a parent.

The thought made him ill.

Because he loved her, and he wasn't going to lose another person he loved.

The beautiful woman barely spared him a curious glance as he walked back into the kitchen, unaware that her two lives had just bumped heads in the unimpressive amount of time he'd been gone.

A few minutes of conversation, if that, and yet he had to use every ounce of his strength to hide how badly it had rattled him.

"Who was that?" she asked conversationally when Edward wrapped his arms around her, a hand on her belly as it so often was.

He rested his check on the top in her head, holding her as close as possible while hiding the gleam of guilt in his bright green eyes.

"A reporter, love. Be sure not to answer that phone until I get our number changed."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

AN: Thanks for all the support, guys. The reviews mean a ton to me so try to leave me some feedback if you have time.

**Also, Nise didn't beta the last section because I didn't finish it until two seconds ago. lol So any typos in the area are all me. **

Special thanks to the few of you on the Twilighted thread. You guys are too sweet.


	22. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: All Twilight characters and core personality traits are the property of SM. I own nothing, nor do I plan on profiting from using her work. No copyright infringement is intended.

Long time no see. Sorry about the hold up, guys. No good excuse besides having been horrendously busy. This chapter was going to be much longer but I wanted to update so time this year so I cut it. Plus side of that is that I'd already done a large chunk of writing when I cut it so I have a good amount of the next chapter already done. We should be looking at another update next week if you guys are still with me.

Want to thank **KT8812, **who wrote a lovely review about this story on her blog segment. www dot twimuses dot com. I was a while ago now, because I was so slow to update. But I wanted her to know how great her kind words made me feel.

Lack of teeth-grindingly bad typos in this chapter is brought to us by **Nise7465,** as always. She's a gem in the world of Beta's. Couldn't ask for a better woman to help me through this.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

The handsome young doctor smiled expertly at the couple in front of him, showing not a trace of the impatience he felt from the barrage of questions they'd been monopolizing his time with. First appointments were a marathon of information for the newly expecting and he'd always been gifted at easing fears.

As his own mate's belly grew large with the now undeniable presence of their first child he could understand the concern and nerves that developed in tandem with her expanding waist line. Had he not been thoroughly educated on the process of pregnancy, he was sure he'd be as hopeless as the male half of the pair he was currently tending too.

"You can talk to the front desk on your way out or call in to schedule your next appointment," Edward told them with the politely definitive edge of an individual that was ending a conversation, "But everything looks great, unless something glaring pops up, we won't need to see you back for another six weeks."

The curly haired mother-to-be nodded gratefully and grabbed her husband's hand to pull him out of the small room, happy to be done with the lengthy and invasive visit. The man glanced franticly at the thick, internet generated, list of questions he had brought into the appointment, a last ditch effort to come up with something he'd forgotten to ask.

"_Come on, John_," she hissed at him at him, embarrassed.

Edward gave the woman a sympathetic smile, "You've been very thorough, Mr. Bishop. But if you have any other questions you can always call."

The man nodded reluctantly as he was dragged from the office by his much smaller counterpart.

Edward breathed out a sigh of relief deep enough to displace the wayward red hairs that had fallen onto his forehead as the door closed behind the couple. They'd been only one obstacle in a morning full of constant run-arounds. The department was hopelessly over-booked and none of the doctors had so much as sat down for a moment's rest since they'd started their shifts.

The casual accolades given to the young, up-and-coming physician by the society pages when they had so underhandedly announced the impending birth of the newest Cullen heir had ended up gaining a lot of new patients for the facility. Couples looking for an OB were all eager to get appointments with someone with Edward's reputation— though he was sure it had more to do with his family's spotlight than it did with he's professional prowess.

Unfortunately this influx of new patients was coming exactly as Edward's personal life required more and more of his time and devotion. Never in his life had he cared less about his career advancement. Even still, it felt like he was calling home to tell Bella he was going to be late for dinner far too often. A less patient and understanding partner would have already called him out.

There wasn't a moment in the day, no matter what he was doing, that he wouldn't rather be with Bella. Everything else turned secondary to the sweet little female; his job, the brother he hadn't spoken to in over a month… none of it mattered when he had her to come home to.

Today was a particularly exciting day for the new couple. Edward only wished he'd been able to take off his entire shift instead of having to make arrangements to meet Bella at his father's office.

Dr. Cullen walked up to the bustling nurse's station after he was sure the pair he'd just tended to had left, just in case that husband had managed to come up with another question during the short walk through the halls.

One of the nurses snatched his chart out of his hand and tried to shove a new one at him before he could so much as blink. "You have a patient waiting in exam room three, Doctor," she informed him shortly, one hand on her overly rounded hip.

Her scrubs were covered in a floral print that had Edward's vision blurred.

The irritated redhead ignored the papers being held out for him until she finally withdrew. He shook his head lightly. "I just saw my last patient. I'm only scheduled half day today," he reminded as nicely as he could manage. He didn't know how many times he possibly had to remind everyone of these things before it finally registered through their thick skulls. "Irina's covering me."

She tipped her chin up defiantly. "Well she's already with someone. We're too busy for you to just be running off when…"

The sudden malice in Edward's striking green eyes was enough to stop the thought mid-sentence.

"I have somewhere I absolutely need to be at one. I've already taken more appointments than I was supposed to. This t.o. has been approved for weeks. It's in big red print in the middle of the schedule," he jabbed his finger at the large, heavily marked book on the counter; "You figure it out."

Edward had more or less spent the last month snipping at the nurses in his department, things were still tense after one of them had tried to run a profit off his personal life, so by now they had grown used to his mild coldness towards them. He was surprised when the small woman in front of him went frighteningly pale.

The young doctor ran his fingers through his hair tensely.

"Hey… _listen_, I just have something _really_ important to get to," he stressed, softening his demeanor, afraid he'd been too hard on her, "I didn't mean to snap at you, but I have to get going."

She didn't look any less nervous at his rare reassurance. When she spoke again it was to her standard white tennis shoes, eyes refusing to meet his. "Sir… It's- It's already two-thirty…"

Dr. Cullen went precisely the same shade of white as the bearer of bad news. He hastily pulled his muted cell phone out of the pocket of his lab coat, adamant that she had it wrong.

There was no way he had lost track of time that badly on such an important day.

But he couldn't see the time on his phone… it was covered in 'missed call' reminders and ignored text messages. Three from Bella, one from his father's office and lastly, a call from Carlisle himself. Edward's heart sunk like a rock.

"Fuck."

He'd missed their appointment. His child had a gender… a little boy or girl, and he didn't know it.

Edward walked dejectedly to the employee lounge and collapsed into the nearest chair, his head pounding. The usually organized intellectual felt sickeningly like a college student that had slept through a heavily weighted exam.

He'd been so excited, getting to stand by Isabella when they finally found out what was inside that belly he'd been fawning over for the last two months. The unexpected father had been very vocally hoping for a girl, a beautiful ball of curls and energy he could love and spoil like he did her mother, but in all honesty would be more than ecstatic with the boy Bella had been planning on.

Such a huge occasion and he'd worked through it.

He didn't even have the nerve to call Bella immediately; she'd probably be home already, having gone to the appointment alone. Knowing the level-headed female, she wouldn't be angry with him, but disappointing her pained him like nothing he'd ever experienced. He'd made a promise to her and breaking it was inexcusable.

Edward called his father.

"Where have _you_ been?" Carlisle Cullen's voice inquired without the customary greeting. He didn't sound at all judgmental, much to his son's relief, just curious and a touch concerned.

"Is Bella alright? Was she upset?" he sputtered out, wanting to know more than he wanted to admit his carelessness to his mentor.

"She was fine, son," Carlisle reassured him evenly, "A little concerned that she wasn't able to get a hold of you, but we guessed that you'd been held up at the hospital."

"I was," Edward groaned pathetically into the phone, his head tossed over the back of the chair. He briefly shot a look around the room to make sure he was alone. After the slip the month before, he was obsessively private about all things concerning Bella and baby. He had just barely dodged a bullet last time and didn't need to risk a second brush with Chief Swan.

"I didn't realize what time it was. We've been swamped since I walked in the door. The last time I glanced at the clock it was still nine."

The seasoned doctor let out a non-committal, '_It happens'_, grunt. Both of their minds flashed to a night several years ago, when the Cullen patriarch slumped into his wife's extremely formal 40th birthday party as the guests were _leaving_, having lost track of the clock during a slew of unfortunately timed births. Esme, as lovely a woman as she is, had still yelled herself hoarse. His amends had ended up costing Carlisle a very beautiful lady's Cartier watch.

If Edward needed any more proof of how special Bella was, that little memory would have sealed the deal. But he wasn't sure if the last name 'Cullen' just systemically gave their women an attitude.

Though, the idea of his girl pink cheeked and mildly displeased with him was something he couldn't help but find endearing.

"_Well_…" He was broken from his reverie. "Your loss was my gain."

Edward felt himself tense, "What do you mean?" he inquired, regardless of being sure he knew exactly what was meant.

He could almost _hear_ Carlisle's megawatt smile.

"When it was clear you wouldn't be making it, I asked Bella if it would be alright if I stood in during the ultrasound…" he taunted jovially. "Took her out to lunch after, just got back when you called."

While most would have been sympathetic to Edward's clear dismay, Carlisle had no such qualms about bragging his good fortune. The charming blonde coddled Edward's pregnant partner every opportunity he was given, constantly vying for invites to his son's home for dinner. Getting to be present for such an incredible moment, finding out the gender of the child that would carry on his family's name—with some luck on Edward's part—before anyone, had to have been the highlight of his year.

Edward bit back a particularly acidic surge of jealousy. It was his own fault that precious moment wasn't his, and part of him was grateful that Bella hadn't been alone. The tiny brunette did seem fond of his father.

Even still, the combination of deep disappointment and bubbling excitement was making him sick to his stomach.

The nervous redhead opened his mouth to prompt his father into answering the obvious question when he was immediately cut off.

"And before you even ask, I'm not going to tell you," Carlisle insisted without room for argument. "Get cleaned up, go home early, and at least give Isabella the satisfaction of sharing her surprise."

Edward nodded as though his father could see the movement. He of course agreed that Bella should be the one to tell him, even if not knowing was slowly driving him mad.

A rather defeated sigh escaped his lips. He wasn't sure he'd be able to keep this half-baked balance in his life, not if it meant giving Bella less of himself when he was trying to prove that he was what was best for her and the baby. The ideal mate and father.

"Bella's a saint, son. She didn't seem angry that you weren't able to make it," Carlisle tried to sooth, misinterpreting the younger man's apprehension. It was clear he was even a little jealous, that Edward had someone so relaxed when he himself had struggled with Esme's demands on his schedule. "Just be honest and respectful and she'll understand."

"It's not Bella I'm concerned about," he pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose to try to release some of the pressure building at the front of his skull. He tried to sum up his thoughts. "Honestly, I don't know how I can keep this up. I wanted to be there more than anything. If this is any indication of how things are going to continue… I don't want to be at the hospital while my kid's taking their first steps…"

Carlisle's end of the line was quiet for a time, the silence thick with thought.

"Edward, me and your mother really adore Bella. And more importantly, we appreciate the changes in _you_ since she's been in your life," the blonde started guardedly, "So please don't take offense when I caution you against making changes in your life over a development this new…"

Predictably, the smitten lover turned instantly defensive, "This_ new development_ is permanent," he stated, voice low.

"I certainly hope so," Carlisle conceded easily, "but as your father, I'm hesitant to advise you to compromise your career for a woman you've been with for a few months, no matter how wonderful she may be."

"She's worth it. Trust me," Edward dismissed absently, a smile brightening his attractive face at the very thought of her. "I don't want to do this half ass and risk losing her. That's not an option for me."

Since the young couple had taken their relationship to the level of intimacy, there was probably nothing in the world that could convince Edward that Bella wasn't worth any sacrifice in his capacity to make.

Carlisle paused again, rightfully sensing that his argument was useless, especially over the phone where his stubborn son could so easily hang up on him. Neither was he keen on the idea of accidently offending Bella. Ever the opportunist, the head of the family decided it wouldn't be wholly unethical to swing the situation in his favor.

"Well son, you know the door's always open for you at our practice," he chimed in, as though it was an errant thought. "I know you were against it, but if you're looking for more predictable hours and a less stressful working environment, we could sit down and talk things over."

Edward's throat felt tight, temptation creeping up in his compromised resolve. "_Dad_… I don't think…"

"_Naturally_," Carlisle interrupted, "We could arrange things so that you needn't start immediately. If you wanted to take some time off, the rest of Bella's pregnancy and some time to get her and the new baby settled in, we could make that work."

His thoughts raced before he had any chance of reining them in. The possibility of not having to painfully drag himself from her side each morning, of being able to take care of her as she grew larger with child, was so overwhelmingly tempting it nearly forced an immediate acceptance to his father's long rejected proposal.

It had been hanging heavy on his mind, especially after he'd run off her father, that he might not be able to be around as much as she needed him once the baby had come. Edward didn't want Bella to need anyone but him, only grudgingly sharing her attention with his family and Jazz, but had been worrying more and more about whether he was leaving her high and dry when it came to postnatal support. She'd been unreceptive, at best, to his idea to look into nannies and frankly, he didn't like the idea of a stranger watching his child much more than she did. What if they could both stay home with the new addition for a while?

Sacrifices like that were the kind of thing that would prove to Bella that he was serious about her and their future.

"I-" he slowed anxiously, again glancing around to make sure no one else was near. Not that another party would be able to ascertain Carlisle's side of the conversation, but it still felt a bit traitorous discussing such things there. "I'll think about it, alright?"

Across the city, Carlisle Cullen grinned from ear to ear. "Fantastic."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Edward was in a sour mood as he walked into his bedroom to change out of his work shoes and into more comfortable clothing. There were no cars missing from the garage, not even Bella's dilapidated old truck which she insisted on using for small errands, so he'd entered the their home with the promise of seeing her immediately. A quick search of the usual Bella-favored areas proved unfruitful. She wasn't in the kitchen, living room or even the library. The whole downstairs felt quiet and empty. He assumed his sister had come and stolen her after she returned from the appointment. He hated that Bella had filled Alice's lack of close friends. Between the tiny sprite and Jasper's constant lurking, he felt like he was forever fighting to fit into her schedule.

It was a selfish thought, considering how often he left her for work.

He'd already began kicking off his shoes when he rounded the corner into the master suite but paused midstride as his eyes swept over the space.

There was a small, female shaped lump under the covers of their bed, a little head of shinny brown hair nestled in the pillows.

The stern man's heart softened immediately, as it always did when confronted by the subject of his affections. The beautiful creature looked almost comically small in his over sized bed, tucked in a sea of plush comforter.

Edward had made plenty of noise making his way through what he thought was an empty house, but the blanket bump showed no sign of life. It wasn't common for her to nap in the middle of they day, the woman had a shocking amount of energy for someone who's body was working so hard to nurture a child, but today had been a big one for her. He didn't second guess her sudden fatigue.

The bed though, looked tempting beyond his ability to resist with her warming it for him. He was quiet as a mouse— a very large, slightly clumsy mouse— as he striped down to his boxers and lifted the covers to join her.

He spooned himself into her tiny body and felt the now familiar sense of peace he received only by having her near. She had on nothing but one of his t-shirts, which from a practical standpoint was completely acceptable, seeing as it covered the tiny girl conservatively.

It did something crazy to the young man, having her in his clothes.

Not the best at letting her be, he very gently rested his cheek upon hers and slid his hand under the shirt that loosely covered her. As he suspected, his palm smoothed over the uncovered fuzz of her sex on its way the swell of their child. He'd just barely gotten to the point were he had enough control around her to feel her bare bottom against his thighs and not immediately need to find the fastest way to get inside her. Edward was a man, but he was a slightly older man and able to pull enough restraint together to keep himself from pawing at her while she rested.

His long fingers caressed her adoringly. The growing baby resting between her hips made for a large bump on his tiny girl's delicate frame.

Bella made a small squeak as she woke, a discontented, sleepy sound that made her lover's lips twist into a crooked smile. He should have felt sorry for disturbing her sleep, but he was starved for her company.

She attempted to tilt her face to look at him until she realized it was being pinned down by her tormentor.

"How's my girl?" he asked softly as she stretched out like a lazy cat along the firm lines of his much larger body.

Bella didn't greet him with her normal enthusiasm, didn't answer at all for a few moments. When she finally did, her voice was unusually meek, face still hidden from him.

"Which one of us?" she mumbled into the pillow.

Her words confused him until she pointedly placed her small hand over the one that was absently running up and down the length of her belly.

The joy that Edward felt in that instant was so profound, so overwhelming, that his entire body jolted with excitement. He would have loved any little boy born from the woman he adored, truly, but he had so badly wanted the child to be a girl.

Little girls just wanted to be loved and coddled, something he was sure he'd be perfectly good at. He was going to be there throughout Bella's pregnancy, the child's birth, first mile stones and every special occasion— in his opinion, everything that made a _man_ a _father_. He'd cherish that child the same as he did the pretty woman in his arms, powerfully and instantaneously.

But boys, young men, put a lot of stake in paternity. They want to know the man that sired them, the blood that ran through them. They often wanted to know why they weren't good enough for their real father to stick around. There was something innately devastating about a missing father figure to a young boy.

Edward knew this because he had lived it.

He could make a little girl his own without any worry that it wouldn't be enough simply because they didn't share the same genetics.

Maybe someday, if Bella still wanted her boy, he could give her one.

"_Bella_," he breathed, his pleasure from the news clear as a chime. "The baby… it's definitely…"

"Female," her warm little cheek rubbed against his as she nodded, "According to the doctor and Carlisle."

The proud father's grin was blinding. Edward tightened his embrace in an awkwardly situated hug and pressed and an appreciative kiss against her temple.

"Bella, that's wonderful," he crooned to her, praising the woman as if she had intentionally made the child the gender he'd been hoping for, "She's going to be perfect, darling. If she's anything like her mother, she'll be absolutely perfect."

Bella was eerily still and quiet for such an exciting moment. Her posture was comfortable in her lover's arms but she made no effort to turn and face him, not even when he leaned his body on a crooked elbow to get a good look at her.

Edward's gut twisted with the return of his quickly forgotten guilt. He brushed the beautiful long waves of hair off her shoulder and pulled the stretched out collar of the old shirt down, exposing a soft curve of pale skin for an apologetic brush of his lips.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there today, love. I wanted to see her more than anything," he cupped her belly possessively, "I just lost track of time. Forgive me," Edward implored her compassionate nature.

She leaned her little back further into his chest to sooth him, affirming her words with physical closeness, "It's alright, Edward. Carlisle said that's probably what had happened. We took lots of pictures and there's always next time."

Bella tried to clear her throat inconspicuously and only then did Edward's realize that her voice was hoarse with more than just sleep. He frowned and pressed a finger to her chin to turn her reluctant neck.

Her lovely brown eyes were pink and swollen from a recent cry.

As soon as she realized she'd been caught they started welling up again with crystal clear tears, as if not acknowledging her sadness was the only way she had managed to keep calm so far.

Edward's handsome face contorted with remorse. "_Oh, baby. No_," he whispered desperately, "No. No. It won't happen again. Not ever. I should have been there. I should have been with you the whole time…" his voice faltered.

He wanted to tell her that he was planning on talking to his father to make sure a demanding work schedule was never responsible for keeping him away from her again. He wanted to make her those kind of promises, but _knew_ not to let her in on it until he had obligated himself. If she found out he was considering making a career choice for the sake of her and the baby— a choice he had been sworn against at the beginning of their courtship— she'd do everything in her power to stop him.

Bella shook her head sharply to stop him, dislodging the moisture in her eyes until it rolled down her red face in quick flowing tracks. She lifted her had to wipe at them fiercely.

"It's not that, Edward. I swear it's not that," she hiccupped at him softly.

He looked noticeably doubtful. "You don't pretend you're okay with me fucking up all the time-"

"It's the baby…"

Edward's heart skipped, jolting, his brain a torrent of terrible things involving their child that could make Bella cry like that. His father would have told him right away if something was wrong, he was positive. Carlisle would never stay quiet about something so devastatingly important. The redhead felt bile rise in his throat.

"The- the baby?" he repeated softly, studying her pretty face like it held the answers to anything and everything that mattered.

She looked… ashamed as she nodded, still swiping at tears.

"It's stupid, _so stupid_. I shouldn't feel this way at all," she cried, "I just… I was positive it was a boy, you know? So stupid. It's not like it was any more than a hunch but… but…"

Edward's body relaxed, his features softening with sympathy. He sat up, scooting until his bare back rested against the upholstered headboard and pulled the sniffling female between his muscular thighs until she was securely wrapped up in all the warmth he had to offer.

He hushed her soothingly, gently rocking. Though Bella wasn't quick to anger like other expecting mothers, she was prone to tears at the drop of a hat. He'd nearly perfected his ability to calm her.

Edward also very clearly understood why she was upset. For a young woman that was already having a hard time wrapping her head around the changes this baby was going to cause in her life, even the little bumps along the way were hard to handle.

"It's not stupid, love. There's nothing wrong with feeling a bit of disappointment. You'd made peace with expecting a boy," he reasoned, trying to think of anything that she'd want to hear. He rested his chin on her shoulder and looked down at the far from fully-ripe belly he was running both palms across, "We have plenty of time to get you excited about a little girl. Just wait until you tell mom and Alice, they'll give you a slew of reasons why a female is the superior gender."

She didn't laugh as he was hoping for, but leaned her damp cheek into his affectionately and steadied her breathing after a few moments.

"I feel bad that I feel bad," she explained, "It's not like there's a difference or one is any easier to care for than the other. Everyone always says it doesn't matter as long as the baby's healthy. What's wrong with me?" Bella whimpered.

She couldn't see his smile, "I told you no one actually means that, Bella. I very much wanted a daughter. If she had turned out to be a boy, you'd be trying to cheer me up right now," he lied. A son would have been just as welcome to him, if not a source of a touch more apprehension.

Bella craned her neck and gave him a rather narrow eyed look. He smiled innocently back at her, landing a peck on her tightly lined lips before she could turn away.

"I don't like to see you upset, my love," the redhead nuzzled her neck, "Tell me what to do to make you smile and I'll do it. Anything you want."

And he meant it. There was nothing more important than making her happy.

Bella took her bottom lip between her teeth, her expressive eyes suddenly filled with a type of curiosity that Edward had come to know meant she was about to use her extensive charms against him.

He immediately felt uneasy.

The lovely girl gave him a kiss that would have curled the toes of even the hardest man.

"Anything?" she asked innocently.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Famously blue eyes darted habitually down at her silent cell phone. She'd been back in the states for two weeks and had still not managed to get a hold of him. When she had called her very first day back, aching to see him after several long months away, a robotic recording informed her that Edward Cullen's home phone number was no longer in service. She had only resorted to using that line in the first place because he hadn't once picked up her calls to his cell phone or the emails she'd sent to announce her homecoming.

Tanya Denali was growing more and more anxious with every passing day.

The powerful man had never been the most considerate about getting back to her in a timely matter, but he'd always manage to working in a call when his schedule opened up. He was very much an out of sight, out of mind type of individual but the gorgeous strawberry blonde had never resented having to be the one to put in the effort.

He was worth it. Handsome, devastatingly so, intelligent, passionate and everything she'd ever dream of in a man. Except maybe, faithful.

As hard as Tanya tried not to seem as though she was waiting for a phone call like a love sick school girl around the keen eyes of her sister, Kate, she was far too consumed to keep her attention away from her cell for long.

Most would have thought that the popular woman was merely tending to her extensive list of friends and hopeful suitors, but Kate zeroed in on the pang of disappointment that ripped across her sister's features every time T's eyes flicked over the sleek black device.

And unfortunately, the less stunning of the two siblings was a vindictive bitch.

"He gave you the slip, T," the overdone blonde pointed out in an almost sing-song taunt. "Time to chalk up your losses and call off the game."

Tanya's heart clenched, she didn't want to talk about it, but her sister could be ruthless when ignored. "He's just busy. Last time I talked to him he said he had a lot on his plate," she dropped her fork next to her mostly untouched meal. Now that she was off season, she was free to enjoy food a bit more liberally, or at least she would have been, if her nerves weren't driving her to starvation.

Kate gave a nasty little laugh. Tanya had been working in Italy when her former lover had made headlines, but Kate had most definitely taken notice. Cullen _had_ been busy… starting a family with a much younger woman. She kept this bit of news to herself, deciding to let her princess of a sister figure it out on her own.

"He treats you like shit and you've pined over him for years," she pointed out, not untruthfully, as she popped a fry into her mouth.

"He does _not_ treat me like shit," Tanya corrected firmly, "That's just the way he is. Not every man is overly affectionate all the time. I'm not going to push him to commit when he's not ready if I can just stick it out and be there when he is."

Pretending like she was okay with seeing Edward engage different women was agonizing, but it had keep her on his short list for longer than any one else he'd taken up with. She knew what she was doing. A man like him would enjoy his freedom but eventually want something he could count on, and she'd be there, having loved him to a fault and proved herself time and time again. At twenty seven, the famous pretty face was at the end of her career and would be ready to settle down when he was.

Kate grinned into her napkin. If Tanya had any idea how ready that man was to commit.

"Well… you've been to his house before," she started pointedly.

Tanya nodded, trying not to blush. She had… a few times. He was very private. They mostly went to her apartment.

"If he's too busy to pick up your calls, you should drop by. You're in this relationship too… should be able to call the shots every once in a while. Men like the Cullen's appreciate women with gall," Kate suggested, dull brown eyes twinkling.

The very thought of just showing up at Edward's home, uninvited, was petrifying. He wasn't one to be overly welcome, or afraid to hurt one's feelings. She had never pushed.

But she _did_ know a bit about Esme and Rosalie Cullen. Carlisle's wife was hugely popular and assertive in the social scene. Her charity work was legendary and she put her philanthropy before what could have been a wildly successful career in architecture.

And Rosalie, Tanya had walked with in a few shows several years ago. The woman was a grade A bitch but had landed Edward's brother like the man was a pauper instead of a Cullen heir. Tanya didn't care much for Edward's money, she had her own after years of establishing herself, but she was competing with woman who did.

Kate certainly seemed to have a point.

Even still, she wasn't sure she was desperate enough for such drastic measures yet. The vivacious woman, who could have anyone, but only wanted him, had put a lot of heart and time into the relationship and didn't want to deviate from the successful modus operandi now and risk ruining every thing.

Maybe if he still hadn't called her by next week…

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

**Rare Recommendation**; If you're interested in a rec, take a look at '**Glamour Shots'** by '**just robin'. **It's a comedy, either super light and fluffy, or deep and intricate satire, take it as you may. I've been avoiding all the FanFiction angst like the plague lately, no easy thing to do, and I am enjoying a lot so far.

If you read it and like it, tell her I said 'Hello'.

Also, Nise's flesh and blood has started her first story. I haven't had the opportunity to read it yet but I'm going to take a look at it on my day off the day after tomorrow when I finally have time. I'm sure If she's anything like her mother, it'll turn into something great and we'll have gotten to join the party early. Read with me. **Castoff** by **musicflare87**


	23. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: All Twilight characters and core personality traits are the property of SM. I own nothing, nor do I plan on profiting from using her work. No copyright infringement is intended.

Again, Nise7465 beta'ed this for me in one day. She's my hero. If you like this story, she's yours too because this chapter was a mess before she got her hands on it.

The tiny middle portion of this chapter was added after beta so all the mistakes in there are all me.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Edward buried his head into his palms with a deep groan. He couldn't fathom how he had come to agree to this. It was those huge brown eyes, no doubt, as sweet as a kitten, _or_ those little lips that could kiss him into a stupor. If he hadn't been sure whether he had it in him to do anything thing in his power to put a smile on the woman's face, this was his defining moment.

Jasper looked nearly as miserable as Edward felt, the unruly blonde pulling at the neck loop of his tie like a junkyard mutt that had never before experienced the oppression of a collar.

Both men still managed to beam brightly the moment Bella walked into the room.

With the way her little hand went straight to her hip, it was clear she had no interest in buying what either of them were trying to sell.

"You guys look like you're about to sit down for your last meal," she scoffed incredulously.

"_If only_," Jazz muttered under his breath with a level of bravery that Edward quite admired at the moment.

The beautiful woman pouted, unintentionally adorable and the two best friends squirmed with guilt.

"That's not fair," she sighed softly, "Both of you agreed to this. Stop looking at me like I just killed your puppy."

"You were upset about the baby. I would have signed over the deed to my house if you had told me it would have made you happy again," Edward claimed insanity under duress.

The Texan threw his hands in the air, "You told _me_ you'd make my favorite dinner if I just showed up and dressed in my Sunday-best," Jasper groused like he'd been terribly betrayed.

Using the promise of a home-cooked meal while he was so far away from his momma was like a sin to him. If she wasn't so cute—and fiercely protected by a man that could hand him his ass—he'd strangle that pretty little neck.

Bella's face tinted a shameful pink, her gaze dropping to the dish towel she'd been drying her hands with. "I'm sorry, Jazz. I thought it would be fun. I should have told you…"

From behind her back, Edward shot him a look that equated clearly to 'make this right or I'll end you'.

The mischievous young man sat back with a smirk. He patted his lap and held out his arms to beckon her to him, "Come make it up to me, Button."

"_No_," Cullen growled, whether to Jasper or his girlfriend, neither were sure.

She snorted, relieved that she hadn't pushed her friendship with Jasper too far. The jealous redhead leaned forward and pulled her bottom onto his lap instead.

"Na, its fine, Bella," Jasper dismissed easily, "I'm honored you'd consider me for your friend. And she's Ed's _adopted_ sister so I don't have to worry about his ugly mug showin' up in a dress, all crazy red hair and shit…"

Edward rolled his eyes and glared at him over Bella's head, his hold on her secure and possessive, "I'd be a distinct improvement over some of the women I've caught you with over the years."

Jazz huffed a laugh. That was probably true enough. He wasn't picky, provided his date was clear on the nature of their relationship. He loved the ladies but the exceptionally pretty gals tended to be little prima donnas. He'd avoided commitment most of his adult life, but as he stole a glance at Edward, saw how content his best friend was as he whispered into a giggling Bella's ear and ran his palm protectively over her swollen belly; being single didn't seem quite as satisfying any more.

He wanted a girl just like her; loyal, intelligent _and_ beautiful. If the she-Cullen was anything like her friend, he was willing to give the whole thing a shot. Get back on the horse and all that…

There was an obnoxious series of chimes from the door bell, the visitor incessantly pushing at second intervals. All of them winced at the unexpected racket.

"She's here," Bella jumped to her feet, getting a helpful, careful touch from Edward to steady her when she lost her balance.

"She has a key," he sighed, "She's just being a pest. Sit, love, I've got it," he put a hand on the crown of her head and pressed down until she was again seated comfortably.

What happened the moment Jasper laid eyes on Alice Cullen could only be described as a once in a life time phenomena.

She walked in with her designer bag, positively dangerous heels, and a gait meant for the cat walk. Her crystal blue eyes were visible clear across the room and they bore into him with a palatable aim of seduction. She was no Edward in drag.

And for whatever, unfathomable reason, the sensation that hit him was unwarranted, instinctual, _good old-fashion_ dislike.

An easy going man to the extreme, it was not very often that he developed such a quick negative opinion of some one, and never after a scant few moments of eye contact, but something about the tiny female made him loath to be in the same room as her.

He suddenly didn't think this whole thing was a good idea at all.

Ignoring Edward's insistent whining that she not get up, Bella bounced out of the love seat and went to embrace Alice with that excited enthusiasm only women were capable of experiencing when greeting someone they see several times a week.

The blonde looked to his best friend for strength but only got the threatening glare of a protective big brother. He even considered a fake page from the hospital when Bella finally waved him over for introductions; but his pregnant pal looked so bright eyed and hopeful that he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Uncomfortable instincts pushed aside, Jasper sauntered forward with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. He stopped just short of Bella, shielding himself behind her body like a child hiding behind his mother's skirts.

The Texan offered the tiny, intimidating woman his hand and reverted back to his usual knack for charm with his best toothy grin.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Alice. These two have told me a lot about you," he lied politely, for Ed had always been too busy pretending he didn't have a sister around him to have done much talking about the girl.

The tiny thing shook his hand coyly, holding on for a moment too long. "Is that accent real? Its _adorable_," she crooned at him.

Under normal circumstances Jasper would have handled the ridiculous question like a gentlemen, would have made a joke about using his southern drawl exclusively around beautiful women and hoped to quell the awkwardness. So even he was surprised when he offered only a stiff nod and took another step behind his brunette host.

Something about her just rubbed him all wrong.

The moment would have been extremely uncomfortable; but Bella almost immediately ushered Alice into the kitchen and Edward was so busy smiling at the girl that the entire room could have been on fire and he wouldn't have noticed.

Dinner was a disaster.

The longer Jasper spent in the bird-like woman's company, the more sullen he became. He clung to Button like a shadow, even as he wondered how in the world she had ever thought Alice Cullen would be a good fit for him.

Alice was a pretty thing, he'd give her that. With small, delicate features and a tight, petite, frame—but she was made up to her eyeballs. Heavy make-up, trendy hair, carefully styled outfit… Jasper suspected the female Cullen sibling was probably the belle of the ball in most rooms but when standing next to Bella—the vision of natural, carefree beauty—she looked silly and over done.

She was also vain, spoiled, rude, and had a voice high enough in pitch to blow out ear drums.

Jasper had felt better when they sat down to eat. Button had lured him over with the promise of his favorite meal and she delivered in spades.

"This looks great, Button," he kissed her cheek affectionately as she dropped a healthy plate of breaded pork chops and mashed potatoes in front of him. His stomach lurched its appreciation.

Alice settled into the chair across from him. "Why do you call her that?" she asked, looking from the blonde to Bella curiously.

Her brother groaned at the question but Jasper was more than happy to enlighten her, as he knew it was sure to make the brunette show her signature blush.

"Cos' she's cute as a button," Jazz drawled, grinning wickedly as Bella rolled her eyes but turned positively pink.

The raven-haired shrew tilted her head toward Edward. "Honestly brother, you forgot to mention that your best friend is in love with your girlfriend…"

It was a joke, meant to be harmless they were sure, but since Ed was so sketchy when it came to his girl's friendship with his charming co-worker the room lapsed into a few seconds of tense silence.

Jasper's grey eyes narrowed, failing to see the humor behind the jab that made his two friends uncomfortable, but Edward graciously dismissed any chance of offense before he could say anything.

"Who could blame him?" the redhead smiled up at the woman in question.

Alice pretended to gag, dipping a manicured finger to the back of her throat. By the look in her eyes, the sentiment became real when Bella tried to serve her a helping of the hardy dinner.

"Oh… It's alright, Bell," she pulled her plate away and reached for the tongs of the salad in the middle of the table. "I had a big lunch. I'm just going to have some of this," she said, spooning spooned out a placating portion of lettuce.

He wasn't buying it. Jasper had seen it before, women that counted their calories like exceeding a certain number would led to instant death. It normally earned them an internal eye roll but it had never bothered him as much as it did right then.

"You didn't know Button was makin' us dinner tonight?" he asked, conversational with a twinge of accusation.

Alice had the good grace to look guilty but gave a little shrug, "Well of course, it just slipped my mind. Busy day," she smiled.

Her sudden combatant let out a forced laugh but oozed annoyance, "That's too bad," he commented dryly, "She's pretty far along so spending her day puttin' a meal together for us couldn't have been easy. She was probably hoping we'd all enjoy it when she was waddling around the kitchen…"

"Jasper!" Bella smacked the back of his head. He hadn't even realized she was so close. "It wasn't any trouble at all and he knows it," the sweet girl stuttered out quickly, and let out a nervous giggle, "He's just kidding, Alice. Always a joker."

Those deep brown eyes shot him a glare that could have scared the paint off the wall and he fixed his features to look properly chastised.

Predictably, the sole occupant of the table that wasn't indulging in the meal was chattering on while everyone munched. Jasper found it almost impressive that Alice Cullen was able to have a conversation with no other stimuli than Bella's polite nodding. It didn't particularly bother him; he could hardly focus his attention on anything that wasn't the explosion of flavors in his mouth.

As Bella had boasted, Alice did seem to have a thriving business and a mind for success. It was normally something the Texan appreciated in a woman. Maria had been content to let him take care of her, which he had been proud to do at the time, but it was nice to know that a potential mate was with you because she wanted to be and not because she needed to be.

It may have been the mild elitism that came with his hard-earned profession, but once his belly was stuffed to the brim and the pixie was _still_ yammering on about perils of high fashion, he had a hard time taking her seriously.

Eight hours earlier he had to make a spilt second decision on an emergency breech birth that could have meant life or death for someone's baby but the girl was talking passionately about underwear, of all things…

"-We've never carried lingerie before. With sizing and variety it just opens up a whole can of worms I've never been interested in getting into," Alice chirped away to her brother, who was doing an impressive job pretending to listen as he absently ran his thumb up and down his girl's wrist. "But the things my buyer was showing me were _fantastic_. They have these little g-strings in their line that I know would sell..."

Bella dropped behind a curtain of long glossy hair to hide her blush but the two doctors didn't bat an eye. There were precious few feminine subjects that could make either of them squirm.

Jasper looked up lazily, "G-strings are terribly unhygienic," he commented testily, though he had never in his life tried to convince an attractive female not to wear or distribute sexy underwear. He glanced over to his med-school buddy for back up.

Edward gave a non-committal shrug, clearly not interested in ruining his chances of seeing Bella in such a garment.

The blonde shot him a small glare of betrayal but continued, "They have no structure. That little string just carries bacteria back and forth as it chafes," he swung his fork to and fro in a sliding motion, "from the anus to the vagina, from the anus to the vagi-"

"Jasper!" Bella croaked, somewhere between laughter and mortification. "_I'm eating_."

"Right. Sorry, darlin'," he muttered innocently, "Just tryin' help our girl with those vexing UTI's."

Edward coughed up his wine.

The table lapsed into another bout of unpleasant silence, Alice's blue eyes glaring daggers at her date over the center piece while he pretended she didn't exist and used a slice of bread to sop up the remnants of his dinner.

Aware of Bella's growing disappointment at her failed attempt to match-make, Edward aimed to change the subject to something he was sure would lighten everyone's spirits.

"We found out the gender of the baby," he announced proudly, reaching over to place a hand on Bella's middle. She smiled shyly and gave him a little nod, having already insisted he get the honor of telling his friends and family since he missed out on the original reveal. "We're having a girl," he grinned brilliantly.

Jasper's whoop of congratulations was drowned out by Alice's horrid scream of excitement. She was a blur of black hair and red dress as she flew across the room and choked Bella with a hug before similarly accosting her brother.

"Oh, I know!" she cried into Ed's neck, "Dad couldn't keep his mouth shut but he made me promise not to say anything. I thought I was going to _die_ if you didn't tell us soon."

Her brother tried to look annoyed as he pried her off of him, "That sounds about right…"

Alice pulled out an unused chair next to the couple and gushed unintelligible cooing noises as she rubbed Bella's bump, "I'm so glad, sweetie. I've been looking up things for the nursery all week."

"I'm glad too," Bella said with conviction, earning a tender smile from her partner. "I'd been… well, not _hoping_ for a boy, but expecting one, so it took me a little while to process."

Alice wrinkled her nose in distaste, "Little boys are gross. Dirty and sticky and always touching their pee-pees."

Jasper shouldn't have been offended, it was wasn't like he was a three year old boy, but he just couldn't get himself to behave. Unable to argue male-child superiority without insulting Bella's baby girl, he tossed his napkin onto to his plate and stood, "Speaking of which, I need to use the loo."

The pest gave him an acidic glare. "At least make yourself useful and bring me another glass of wine on your way back."

The blonde paused on his way out of the dining room, "Sure," he shrugged, "but I'm not washin' my hands."

Alice let out a little shriek of indignation before charging out to get the wine herself.

Bella's sad little face turned to Edward for support before she pulled back and gave his bicep a sharp punch, "You don't have to look so smug about it," she sniffed.

Having been several pegs past reluctant to see his sister and best friend in the same room to begin with, Edward found it nearly impossible to hide his delight over the current turn of events. Better for them to hate each other than to get along _too well,_ in his opinion.

He rubbed the sting out of his arm and gave his pregnant girlfriend an apologetic kiss to hide the curve of his lips.

OOoOoOoOoOoOo

She dropped into their bed like a stone, her mind as weary as her over-taxed body after several hours of Whitlock-Cullen warfare.

"I don't understand," she sighed half dejection, half relief as Edward coaxed her onto her side and gently kneaded the knots in her back with carefully placed pressure, "I thought for sure they'd hit it off."

He pulled her blanket of dark waves aside and kissed her neck lazily, "Isn't it obvious?"

Bella stiffened and peered over her should, dubious. "Jasper isn't in love with me. I swear-"

Her partner shook his head with a deep chuckle, "She's perfect for him and he panicked. Jazz isn't ready, love," he smoothed her hair affectionately, "He can pretend you're his ideal girl until he's blue in face because he knows there's no chance of being with you. You're mine. Entirely unattainable."

She stifled a giggle at his casual, arrogant possessiveness.

"But Ali's available and someone he could really have something great with. He had to convince himself he didn't like her."

Edward had been friends with the man a good number of years. He knew how that simple southern brain worked. Jasper's ex-wife did a number on him, no matter how good he was at grinning through his wounds.

"Well he did a good job of it," she muttered, leaning into him tiredly.

Sensing deeper disappointment than she was letting on, he nuzzled her gently and pulled the heavy comforter all the way up to her chin. "Don't be upset, sweetheart. Just because they didn't fall head over heels tonight doesn't mean she won't wear down his defenses eventually."

Alice Cullen was nothing if not persistent, with an unhealthy compulsion to obtain things beyond her grasp.

Bella snorted, "_Right_. I'm pretty sure she left before him so she could key his car, Edward."

He grinned, "You can't say he didn't earn it."

"They just seem lonely, you know?" she mused, her voice wistfully empathetic. "I hated feeling that way. "

Edward's head swam with that cherished rush of pleasure he received from her admitted attachment to him. He spooned himself against her back and held her so tightly he was surprised she was even able to remember ever being alone.

"Don't even think about that," he insisted, his lips soft against her ear, "I'm never letting you go."

She hummed contentedly before her warm little body went limp in his arms.

OOoOoOoOoOoOo

If his schedule hadn't changed drastically since she'd last been in town, he would be home from his shift already. It was impossible to tell, with his excessive collection of cars and a garage that hid most of them, whether or not one was missing.

Tanya blinked unfavorably at an atrocious red truck sitting in sickening contrast to the elegant carport and thought to herself that Edward's gardener must have some nerve, parking the nasty thing on the intricately paved drive.

Her scorn distracted her from the nervous trembling of her hands.

She'd considered dropping by his hospital instead, where he was professionally pleasant and always smiling handsomely… and where it was very unlikely he'd turn down a lunch invitation in front of his co-workers. But the famous model wasn't so sure he wouldn't brush her off after a coerced meeting and his work place wouldn't be the appropriate location to enact the form of persuasion he was responsive to.

Tanya wasn't so blind that she didn't know when she was being pushed aside—even if it had never happened before.

The statuesque blonde straightened her long spine, swallowed back her apprehension, and walked up the pathway towards the vaguely familiar estate like she belonged there.

But even the door bell looked ominous.

She preened her pale red hair and settled a pair of sunglasses on the top of her head stylishly before announcing her presence. The Dior's were several seasons old and would have been ditched when her top notch wardrobe had been updated had they not been one of the few gifts she'd gotten from Edward.

Tanya expected awkwardness; she anticipated full use of her feminine wiles to prove she still deserved a place in his life.

She didn't expect soft footsteps and a beautiful brunette on the other side of the door.

"Can I help you?"

All the words she had thought to say, the scenarios she had planned for, were forgotten. The blonde's mind went blank as the pretty stranger smiled up at her with a polite confusion.

_Young_. Years younger than the seasoned model, with almost pigmentless angel's skin in contrast to Tanya's tanned complexion and dark doe eyes that gazed curiously into her baby blues.

Like polar opposites.

It would have been nice to entertain the possibility that the casually dressed girl was his maid, his conveniently stunning maid, but she was draped in an old, too-large sweatshirt from Chicago U that could only have been his, her little feet bare on the tile floors.

Tanya's heart clenched so tightly it felt as though it would stop beating altogether.

It was one thing to know he kept company with other women, it was another thing entirely to see one so comfortable in the house of the man she'd been tip toeing around for years in fear of taking an undesirable step out of line and losing his favor.

She couldn't stand the friendly smile on this intruder's face. It wasn't the usual false leer of a victorious adversary, but the genuine beam of a woman that didn't even know there was a rivalry at all.

Rationally, she knew this one was just one of many, but she felt a much deeper pang of insecurity rattle through her.

Tanya fought the sudden weight on her shoulders and uncurled herself primly just as the girl's face started morphing from curiosity to wary concern.

"I'm a friend of Edward's," she gave no further details. It was clear his latest lay didn't recognize her. "Is he in?"

To her horror, the other woman look absolutely jubilant at this explanation, pulling the heavy door open wide and stepping aside in invitation. "Oh!" the tiny thing exclaimed as if everything suddenly made all the sense in the world. "I'm sorry. He didn't mention that he was expecting any one. He's not home from work yet, but it should be any minute now, if you'd like to wait."

Tanya hovered, undecided in the doorway. She wondered what authority this woman could possibly have to allow a random visitor into Edward's house and wavered in between wanting to get the presumptuous idiot in trouble and her impulse to be as far from the excessively private man as possible when he arrived home to find his latest bed warmer wearing his clothes and answering his front door.

She smiled as sweetly as she could fake and walked into the foyer, deciding it would be rather wise on her part to be around after he'd kicked out the co-ed.

"_Thanks_," she clipped as she strode past and into the living room, using her limited knowledge of the home's lay out to feign familiarity.

The bare feet scrambled after her. "I'm Bella, by the way," she introduced herself pleasantly.

Tanya faltered mid-stride, her glossy pink lips curling at the edges, "_Bella_," she murmured disbelievingly. "_Is he prowling the high schools now_?"

"Excuse me?"

"Tanya," she gave her name instead, but didn't offer her hand. "Tanya Denali."

There was no sign of recognition in the girl's expression, just a general nod of acceptance. Bella glanced over her shoulder in the direction of the kitchen, the assumed source of the smells that swirled around the house. "Dinners almost ready. There's plenty if you'd like to say. Do you know Edward through work or…"

The blonde bit back an acidity that would have been easily released on a less pathetically friendly foe. Rivalry for the affections of the same man aside, the stunning young female would have been easy to dislike had she responded to the famous model with the familiar coolness she normally received from other women.

As it was, she felt herself experience a wave of sympathy for Bella. Cullen was hard enough on the heart and self-esteem of more hardened women, this eager little fool should be out charming the jock-strap off a smitten frat boy instead of playing games that she wasn't ready for. Really, it wasn't at all like him to waste time with partners that didn't understand the limitations of a relationship with him in the first place.

Forbidden fruit must have been too much to pass up.

Tanya sighed and decided to show a little mercy. It was hardly ever well received as the good natured advice it was, but if the girl was smart she'd take the opportunity to get out before she was crushed by one of Edward's less-than-gentle dismissals.

She leaned comfortably on the arm of the couch and leveled her gaze on the dark haired beauty. "Listen, sweetie…"

The set of Bella's eyes immediately tightened at the condescending tone, her arms crossing over her chest in a slightly defensive stance.

Tanya continued, "When he left you in bed this morning, he expected you to be gone by the time he got back. All this," she waved towards the kitchen, "He won't appreciate any of it. In fact, that's about as far from what he wants from you as could be."

Bella didn't respond with the misplaced hostility she'd been anticipating, nor did she look less sure of herself.

"I think there's been a misunderstanding," the younger women said softly after several moments of contemplation.

There was no possible reaction that could have hit her harder. No immature denial or explosive ire would have ruffled her feathers, but the little twit trying to turn it around and make _her_ look like the misguided intruder sent a surge of blood to her perfect face.

She stood to her full height. Nearly a foot shorter, the brunette took a sizable step back.

"_No_, sweetie," the blonde sneered. "The only misunderstanding here was between you and Edward. Now go put his clothes back where you found them, grab your backpack, and get back to your dorm room before curfew."

Both women _felt_ his presence before they heard the clang of his briefcase as it hit the hardwood floor. One look at the man told Tanya beyond a shadow of a doubt that her months away had completely striped her of even her small amount of immunity to his charms.

Edward Cullen was a remarkably handsome man, even in the eyes of someone that worked regularly with male models. Just as attractive with intelligence and polish the paid pretty boys lacked.

He looked, if at all possible, even better at that moment than ever before and it took her an unreasonable amount of time to register the _rage_ rolling off of him. It wasn't the sneer of irritation or the snub of annoyance he was so skilled at. It was a clear gleam of fury as he took in the scene in front of him.

Tanya's stomach flipped unpleasantly, somewhere between sympathy for the girl that was about to get the full brunt of his anger and relief that she was finally going to get him to herself again.

It took about thirty seconds to realize his anger wasn't directed at _Bella_.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" he snapped at the wide eyed blonde but didn't bother waiting for an answer.

It almost felt like she was watching in slow motion as he took a few powerful strides across the room and pulled the bewildered brunette into his arms like he was attempting to throw himself between her and a dangerous animal. He pulled her a quick distance away from Tanya before running his hands over her small body like he was assessing for injuries.

But it wasn't until he smoothed his palm across the oversized sweatshirt and outlined the obvious curve of pregnancy that Tanya truly lost her ability to breath.

That man. The man she'd enduringly accepted as incapable of tenderness was panic-stricken as he fluttered around the very pregnant woman she had sorely underestimated. His green eyes were unrecognizable, filled with a concern he'd never expended on Tanya, no matter how desperately she'd longed for it.

Bella didn't look nearly as interested in his attentions, "I'm fine, Edward. _Stop it_," she grabbed hold of his hands to still them.

He seemed to remember his discarded question, his stare burning a whole into Tanya. She wanted to walk out the door, save her pride and what was left of her heart but she just couldn't. Years of believing in him _couldn't_ just end like that.

"I don't know what you think you're doing here Tanya but if you speak to my girlfriend like that in _our_ home again I'll drag you out by your hair," he snarled at her.

The girl in his arms gasped nearly as loudly and his crushed ex-lover.

"It was a misunderstanding," the brunette defended again, much to Tanya's confusion, "I didn't properly introduce myself."

"I don't care if she thought you were robbing in the place, Bella. She has no business here," he sighed, attempting to quell his anger while addressing her. He turned back to Tanya and showed no such qualms, "You need to leave."

The slender beauty took a while to find her voice, and when she did it was as weak and pathetic as her spirit, "I tried to call… for weeks. I never heard back so I just… I thought…"

Bella frowned and opened her mouth to speak but Edward pulled her into his chest like he was trying to keep her from hearing any part of the conversation. His hand cupped her belly pointedly, the glare he gave Tanya a vicious warning against upsetting his delicate mate.

"Then you should have dropped it," he snapped, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Humiliatingly, Tanya's vision began to blur as moisture flooded her eyes. She turned her head away from the staring other women.

She could feel Bella's gaze on her and was relieved when _Edward's girlfriend_ cleared her throat and freed herself from his protective embrace. "Well, I'm going to get dinner out of the oven before it burns," she stated, her voice finally cold with an anger that seemed unnatural to her, "I doubt very much that I need to be here for this conversation. You'll both have privacy in your study."

Edward shook his head, "That's not-"

"_Yes_. It is," she cut him off. "You're not the only one in this room that matters, Edward."

He looked her over, his features desperate and his attention so wholly on her it was as if Tanya wasn't falling to pieces a few feet away. "Of course I'm not," he said softly, reaching out to cup her cheek, "Please don't be upset, darling. It's not good for the baby. I didn't know she'd come here… I promise, Isabella, this is a non-issue."

She pulled away from his touch like it burned her, letting out a humorless huff of laughter, "I'm not talking about me."

When she turned on her heel and walked out he took a few steps after her before managing to stop himself. He watched her little back as it disappeared into the kitchen.

Edward didn't even look at Tanya as he headed into the hall way. She was almost too afraid to follow him, the way he was his frame voiced suppressed hostility.

"Follow me or leave," he barked over his shoulder.

She scrambled after him, despite her reservations; only catching up to his long strides when she followed him into a masculine office. Her once-companion stood near the door instead of taking a seat in one of the inviting leather chairs, a gesture that told her he wasn't aiming for a long conversation.

"What are you doing here, Tanya?" he demanded slowly, the smoothness of his voice only enhanced by the acidity. "Aside from running my girlfriend out of our home…"

"Your girlfriend," she murmured brokenly, her knees close to buckling from the blow of hearing him address someone else with the coveted title, "_Girlfriend_," she shook her head to clear the fog, "How could you do this to me?"

The Cullen heir looked as far from sympathetic as it was possible to be. Even distracted, as he leaned towards the hall and listened to the pounding of pots that rung from the other side of the house, as though she wasn't worth his undivided attention during the most devastating conversation of her life.

"I've never been unclear about the nature of our involvement. Not once," he corrected, "Neither one of use made any promises…"

Tanya couldn't disagree. All the promises she'd made to him were in her own heart, safe from his rejection. Her frustration over flowed like the tears rolling down her elegant face and for the first time in memory, she didn't worry about the state of her makeup in his presence.

"A thirty year old man that only wants sex and isn't interested in commitment," she shrieked manically, "_Everyone_ says that, Edward. No one actually means it!"

"Oh I fucking meant it," he growled, looking for all the world like he was fighting the urge to strangle her.

"_No_ _you didn't_," she thought of the warmth he bestowed upon the younger woman. A compassion she never thought he had in him, even when she fondly imagined their future together, "You didn't and I always knew you didn't. I put up with so much…"

"You've hardly presented yourself as mother of the year material, Tanya," he scoffed.

She recoiled as though struck with a physical pain. This time her legs did fail her, her only saving grace a desk she used to steady herself, as it was clear her aggressor would make no move to help. The disgust on his handsome face was enough to fill her with shame, no matter how unjustified.

He was to the other men she'd claimed to keep company with over the years, the majority falsified and failed attempts to coax jealousy from her uncommitted lover.

As though he'd ever accept or appreciate her fidelity, had she been fool enough to offer it.

"I _presented_ myself as anything you needed me to be," she defended painfully, face wet with tears, "One iota of vulnerability or attachment sent you running for the hills. Don't you dare blame me for acting the way I have in this relationship. You _demanded_ it."

Edward didn't bother refuting that. They both knew it was true. He sighed wearily, long fingers lifting to ruin the small amount of order to his copper locks. "What do you want from me? What are you expecting to hear?"

It sounded ridiculous, even as it left her mouth in a despairing whimper, "I wanted it be to _me_. I could have made you happy, if that's what you'd been wanting. All I needed was a chance."

She blushed uncharacteristically at the slipped confession.

He lifted a brow at her, giving opportunity to backpedal, but she couldn't find the energy to lie any longer.

"Tanya," he stressed carefully, like breaking hard news to a child, "_She's_ the reason I want a family and a commitment. There isn't another woman out there that could be what she is to me."

The gorgeous female shook her head frantically, whipping at her blackened eyes to see him clearly through the haze of tears. "That's not true. I've been in your life for-"

"Years," he cut her off, "Exactly. I've only known her for months but I wouldn't be able to breathe if she left me." His chest visibly tightened at the mere thought.

The mention of time flipped a switch in her muddled mind. The sizable swell of the girl's belly… that hadn't happened over night. The thought brought a cruel satisfaction, a small comfort even if it fell short of actual hope.

"We slept together before my I left for my tour, Edward," she sneered tauntingly, "She's at least that far along. Funny that you landed in my bed, while you were planning a family with _the only woman for you_."

Tanya knew she'd hit a nerve when his anger redoubled, his tight jawed rage back in full force.

"I didn't even know her," he snapped, scrambling to defend his relationship, "I'd never have put my hands on you if I had. Bella moved in after she- after we got pregnant."

Her face went entirely blank, barely comprehending, "You mean to say…" she paused again to draw a trembling breath, "That's all it took- That's all she needed to do to get you was get herself _knocked up_?"

Tanya felt a swell of regret. He'd always demanded they use protection but how many times had he let her supply the condom? How easily it would have been for her… She'd been so sure that doing so would mean nothing more than life as a single mother and a generous check in the mail every month to cover expenses.

Had she known his heart could be so easily won over by an illegitimate child-

"All I needed to do was get pregnant?" she blurted, her voice rose in pitch.

As soon as she said it she knew she shouldn't have. If Edward hated one thing above all else, it was an attempt at manipulation. His eyes turned as dark as she'd ever seen them as he looked over the famous model like she was the most unattractive thing he'd had the misfortune of interacting with.

"Please," he laughed coldly, "I was never careless enough to get you pregnant by accident or stupid enough to do it on purpose."

"_That's enough_!"

And suddenly she was there; beautiful and _furious_ between them. The tiny brunette glared at Edward as if she were seeing him for the very first time.

"_What's wrong with you?"_ she snarled, standing protectively in front of the sobbing blonde.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

AN; I _know_ a lot of you are Jasper fans. Take a look at Inception on a Rainy Night by KT8812! I haven't had any time to read fanfiction unfortunately, but that ones on the top on my short list.

Thanks for all the feedback, guys. You all keep me writing. I swear I never forget about you, I just get bogged down by RL.


	24. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: All Twilight characters and core personality traits are the property of SM. I own nothing, nor do I plan on profiting from using her work. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks for all the love and patience, guys. We lost my 20 year old cousin just a few days before Christmas so this break has been exceptionally rough on top of the usual holiday and end of the semester madness. I can only say I'm sorry and that lack of updates has been constantly weighing on my mind. I was surprised there were only a few pushy anonymous reviews that made me almost want to pull the whole story down. lol I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to disable those, which saddens me.

Thanks to Nise7465, as always. She's probably forgotten what this story is even about but I'd be lost without her. lol

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

_"What's wrong with you?"_

Edward couldn't immediately determine what was causing him more distress; the look of pure scandal on his sweet girl's face or her close proximity to the rather hysterical woman he'd been ready to eject from their home. To be fair, he didn't _actually_ consider Tanya capable of harming Bella physically, but the part of him willing to take such risks with something so delicate and precious to him was negligible.

Not that his Bella looked particularly delicate at the moment…

No…Unarguably the worst part of the situation was that he had absolutely no idea why she was upset _at him._ That made calming her down—his number one priority—a difficult task to approach.

He wasn't sure how much she had overheard, but he wanted to get her away from Tanya before the spiteful woman could say anything to further sully his character or hurt her feelings.

Edward took a carefully step towards her, holding out his hand with distressed caution; posture normally reserved for talking a jumper off a ledge, "Why don't you go sit in the living room, darling? I'll finish dinner for us… I won't take but another moment in here," he coaxed dotingly, though the calming effect was slightly negated by the tight-jawed glare he shot Tanya.

Bella noticed his less than friendly temperament towards the crying blonde and moved to block her even further from his view. It seemed a mainly symbolic gesture, as her tiny body wasn't much of a shield.

"I'm not leaving you alone with her again," she refused firmly, "I don't know what's gotten into you but why you'd think its appropriate to say something like that to someone, _anyone_ is… " the brunette trailed off, her pretty face red with anger.

Both Edward and Tanya wore similar masks of disbelief. He felt anxiety trickle in, making every inch of skin on his body feel uncomfortably tight. He had thought his rage towards his bothersome ex-lover a powerful emotion but it was nothing in comparison to the dread of seeing Bella displeased with him.

He tried to defend himself, "We both heard what she said to you, love… I'd never let anyone talk to you like that."

Edward wouldn't make apologies for defending her; not to Bella and certainly not to Tanya.

"Me? _Your girlfriend_?" Bella asked pointedly.

His brows knit with confusion, "_My girlfriend_ in _our own home_…" he stressed the severity of the transgression.

He never felt quite like himself when someone posed a threat towards his Bella or their relationship. Carlisle was a fantastic partner to Esme and he'd gladly take most of his cues from watching his parent's relationship; but there had been a number of times where the patriarch's placid nature had prevented him from standing up for his wife. Rose's snide comments had gone unchecked for years and Esme was often snipped at by other envious socialites. His father might think that he was taking the high road by letting such things slide but Edward wasn't going to bring such a sweet little creature into the cut-throat world his family existed, in just to leave her to fend for herself. There was nothing more important than making Bella feel safe and he had never cared whether he rubbed people the wrong way.

She shook her head softly, disappointment written all over her lovely features, "She didn't know that though, did she? She didn't have reason to believe me significant to you and that's not her fault, Edward, it's yours."

His throat felt impossibly narrow as he misinterpreted her point. The idea that she might have assumed he was trying to keep both women at the same time was unthinkable. She had left her fiancé a similar transgression, "I haven't been talking to her at all, Bella. _I swear_. I wasn't keeping our relationship a secret. I cut her out of my life completely when I met you…"

"I understand what happened," Bella snapped, the absolute first time she had ever raised her voice at him. "I don't know why you think that's any better. If I just walked out of your life without saying a word would you accept that as closure?"

Her argument cut into him like a knife; not only was the comparison of his relationship with Tanya and the consuming affection he had for Bella entirely offensive to him, but the example read like a threat in his mind. If she were to disappear from his life he wouldn't just sit back and pray she returned like her father and ex seemed to be, he'd turn cities upside down until he had her back.

"That's entirely different. You're my _world_, Bella. She's never meant anything to-"

"Stop it!" she cried, cutting him off abruptly. The younger woman glanced over her shoulder at Tanya with concern before her gorgeous brown eyes narrowed at him. "Stop talking about her like she isn't in the room."

"She _shouldn't_ be here at all," he snarled, incapable of playing nice for even a moment.

Bella's arm shot out, her little finger pointing to the door of the study. "Get out," she ordered him softly.

Tanya made a noise of protest at the idea of Edward leaving but Bella shook her head and reasoned with the woman in a much softer tone, "You can't talk to him when he's like this. Don't do it to yourself. All he wants to do is hurt you right now."

Stunning everyone, including herself, the blonde nodded at her replacement's logic and turned away to wipe at the black makeup that had began to run down her flushed cheeks.

Bella watched Edward expectantly, little chin raised defiantly in a fashion that had him undecided as to whether he wanted to shake some sense into her or kiss her until till she smiled again.

If it had been anyone else trying to banish him from one of the rooms in his own home _he_ would have demonstrated the proper way to kick someone out, but it was her and all he could manage was almost pleading denial.

"I'm not leaving you alone with her, Bella… You shouldn't be dealing with things like this. Think of the baby."

"It wasn't a request," she told him coolly. "Give her a chance to calm down and clean up before she leaves. Dinners on the kitchen counter."

The determined little female turned her back to him then, her posture screaming finality.

He wanted to argue but something about experiencing her anger for the first time rattled his confidence. Her smitten partner was sure of only one thing; he didn't want to do more damage to their blooming relationship than he was capable of repairing. His impulse to protect her warred frustratingly with his compulsion to give her anything she wanted.

Edward sent one last threatening sneer towards Tanya before he stomped from the room…

And sat petulantly in the hall directly outside the door.

Bella peeked at his retreating back with relief, fully aware that his footsteps ended abruptly only a few feet away but unconcerned with his proximity as long as he was unable to continue his tirade on the devastated blonde.

"I was only half convinced that would work," the calming brunette laughed, trying to lighten the thick tension in the space around them. Her feet shifted awkwardly beneath her as she glanced at her strange houseguest, "Want me to leave too?"

The fair-haired beauty shook her head, almost reluctantly. Most of Tanya wanted to run but it was impossible to fight that masochistic need for closure, the need to get the acknowledgment that Edward refused to give her. It wasn't as though she had friends that would sympathize, most were jealous of her pseudo relationship with the famously handsome millionaire. She knew now why her sister had been so encouraging in her pursuit.

Bella forced a small smile and lowered herself as gracefully as possible in to the adjacent chair. She sat there quietly; content to keep company without confrontation or even conversation. Only a few seconds elapsed before Tanya proved unable to bite her tongue in a similar fashion.

"You don't have to play the angel," she told the younger female, bitter but surprisingly unaggressive, "it's obvious he's already put you on the pedestal."

Bella looked entirely unaffected at the semi-jab, "I'm not _playing_ anything," she said simply.

Tanya let out a small, humorless chuckle, "I guess watching him choose me over another women would put me in a generous mood too."

Edward's choice, the young, exquisite little thing in a position that would have most women smiling smugly, shook her head in disagreement. "I promise you that hearing him speak to you like that does not make me feel any better about myself, nor does it give me more confidence in my relationship with him," she sighed, "You don't have to believe me but seeing someone else hurting doesn't feel good to me, no matter the circumstances."

"I tried to kick you out of your home."

Bella shrugged, "You didn't know I lived here. It was rude, even if I was what you assumed, but not worth the way he reacted."

Well-versed in female deception from years in a career rampant with ass-kissers and back-stabbers, Tanya sensed no dishonesty in the girl's words, though she very much wanted to. The stunning, heavily pregnant partner of the man that had just broken her heart would have made an easy target for expelling her humiliation but she felt so defeated that anger would have taken energy she just didn't have.

She choked down the lump in her throat along with more of her pride, "You don't really have to read much into it," Tanya sniffed around more mortifying tears, staring trance-like at the intricately patterned carpet bellow them, "This isn't what happens when he loses interest in you. If that's what you're worried about. He's never treated me like he does you…"

Tanya had lost. I was as simple as that to her. Edward didn't want her, had never _really_ wanted her and frankly, she wouldn't have been able to look him in the eye again regardless. She had no interest in harming the relationship between him and the woman he actually cherished, not when it wouldn't help her case one bit.

Bella offered a small, sad smile, "Thank you for reassuming me," she said gratefully, "But if Edward treated me any differently, now or years from now, I wouldn't be with him. I don't think I quite understand why _you'd_ be interested in being with someone that was unkind to you…"

Her strawberry locks fell further out of place as she shook her head softly, unwilling to take the title of easily tossed around door-mat. "He's never been like that. _That_ was for your sake, I suppose. I had just accepted he wasn't the affectionate sort. Not everyone needs to be…"

Tanya felt incredibly stupid saying that now, after watching him rove the girl with reverent hands.

Bella dropped her eyes meekly, her voice careful and small, "You thought he loved you?"

Tanya wouldn't have believed she had the capacity to laugh at that moment but that's exactly what she found herself doing. "I'm not delusional or stupid," she corrected the other woman wryly, "I knew he didn't love me. But he didn't love _anyone_. I didn't think he even was capable to it," she confessed, "I was around longer than anyone else and that was enough when it came to a man like him."

"A man like him…" Bella murmured, under her breath. "I've never seen him like that before," she said apologetically.

Tanya felt another pinch of hurt at the embracement in the girl's statement; the connection between her and Edward so strong that she felt a personal responsibility for his actions. It was another inadvertent but cruel reminder of how quickly invested he had become when he'd found someone he deemed good enough.

"Yes well, he seems more than a little concerned about upsetting you in your condition," Tanya snipped.

The set of Bella's eyes tightened at the comment, her hand automatically going to the bump she had been previously avoiding in an effort not to appear boastful.

The blonde could practically see the seed of doubt take root in the young woman's head and again knew she was causing unnecessary harm in order to sooth her own hurt. She was of the opinion that Bella's pregnancy was the reason Edward had developed an attachment when he had turned so many others away, but it really was neither here nor there any longer.

"Look-," she went on before Bella was able to over think her tactless comment, "I'm sorry for earlier," she admitted honestly, her head pounding, "I didn't- I couldn't tell you were pregnant and I shouldn't have said those things. I just didn't realize how thoroughly I'd already been upstaged."

Before the unimaginably kind woman could say anything else to make her feel even worse about herself, Tanya found enough strength to get up and all but run out of the room.

Her long, unsteady legs nearly slammed her straight into Edward when she rounded the corner in a hasty escape.

He didn't even look at her as he slipped back in to tend to Bella, a final twist of the knife.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Bella, love…" He kneeled humbly on the floor in front of her, disconcerted by her unwillingness to meet his gaze.

Touching tentatively at her thigh, he drew a small measure of relief when she didn't jerk away from his petting, but not enough to stop the pounding in his chest.

When the doomed relationship was shiny new, and Edward had still shared his home with his brother, he was constantly baffled by how upset Emmett would get when Rosalie was displeased with him—circumstances that were invoked more often than not. The way his older sibling would sit staring at his phone, or the dents he'd make in the walls from hurling the thing across the room when the stubborn vixen sent his string of calls to voicemail… it all seemed outrageously over dramatic to the sensible Cullen son. The bullheaded girl would either forgive him _or not_. Simple.

He now understood that, even if Em felt only a fraction for his wife-to-be back then as he felt for Bella presently, having the person you wanted nothing more than to please be cross with you was worse than anything imaginable.

While Bella didn't pull promptly from his affection, it was clear it didn't exactly delight her much either.

"I'm going to bed," she muttered softly, moving to leave. The silly girl tried to get up quickly to make an impressively angry exit, but, unable to bend much at the waist, struggled to pull her changing body from the unforgivably low chair. She spent several seconds doing a turtle-like roll.

Her little cheeks tinted with embarrassment when he placed his large hands on her hips and gently halted her attempts to rock enough leverage to swing herself out of the seat.

"_Easy_, darling," Edward would have laughed at the sweet sight had it not stemmed from her attempts to get away from him. He kept his palms where they were and worked his thumbs in small cycles at the base of her belly, content to touch until she verbally revoked his permission to do so, "We can't leave things like this. I won't. Talk to me and then we can _both_ go to bed."

Her eyes fluttered closed and he was saddened that he didn't know whether it was from his stroking or her frustration, "Not-" she breathed out, steadying, "Not right now, Edward."

"_Baby_, please don't be upset with me. I'm sorry she was able to get anywhere near you but I never thought she'd dare to come here unannounced."

He again resolved to get a nice big dog to deter unwanted visitors. He'd wanted one since he was a child and the alarm system was useless if Bella was too gracious to turn anyone away.

His favorite pair of eyes narrowed at him again and he shrunk slightly away from her glare. "Do you honestly think that's what I'm upset about?"

"I-" Edward froze. Unfortunately the God-given ability to tell when he'd done wrong in his dealings with his first serious relationship didn't seem to include the ability to predict what was going through that quick little mind of hers. It took him right back to the days when his mother wouldn't revoke his punishment until he not only apologized for his misdeeds but also specify exactly what he was having to apologize _for_. He hadn't been any good at it back then either…

He squared himself courageously and was able to force some confidence behind his blind guess, "You're upset because I never told you about her."

Her exasperated sigh told him immediately that he was incorrect, but he didn't mind because she buried her nose into his chest at the same time, "I don't need to know every woman you've ever been with, Edward," she mumbled against his shirt, "but I won't stand by and let you rip someone to shreds because you got yourself cornered in an unfavorable position."

He stroked along her hair, basking in the feel of her warm body, even when he suspected she was just trying to hide her face. Bella had a habit of elapsing into tears. She had confessed that crying was her reaction to anger even before her pregnancy, "I didn't want you to second-guess my commitment towards you for even a moment... What Tanya was feeling wasn't even a close second," he said honestly.

"Have I ever given you the impression that I'm the type of person that would feel more secure in our relationship after listening to you say those terrible things to your ex-girlfriend? If you had just mentioned her before-"

Edward squirmed, ashamed by the disheartened indignation in her tone. He longed to deny that hurting Tanya to please Bella had been his thought process at the time but he found that he couldn't lie. He had never seen his dates happier than when he had brushed off other women while in their company. Tanya absolutely glowed when he refused to engage the flirtations of brazen females when she was on this arm. He knew with everything in him that it had been a mistake to hold Bella to the same method of vanity boosting.

Under duress, he had defaulted to completely denouncing the pretty blonde, fearing his love would feel jealous or threatened. He remembered now that Bella's ex-fiancé had vehemently denied affection for the woman he had cheated with too and that certainly hadn't eased her ache.

She simply didn't get validation through superiority. He adored that about her.

"No. I don't think you're that kind of person at all. I think you're sweet, and compassionate and _perfect_," he murmured. Edward felt the burn of defensiveness that came with realizing one was on the wrong side of an argument, his tone subdued but with more bite than he'd normally dream of using with her, "so forgive me if I didn't want to tell you about the women I used to _fuck_ while I'm trying to convince you that I'd make a good father for your baby girl. It just seemed a little counter productive at the time."

Bella gasped, pulling away in the perfect move to make him instantly repentant. He sighed to calm himself and cupped her cheek to guide her gaze away from her hands wringing tensely in her lap.

"It's not that I was worried about you finding out I've been involved with other woman, Bella," he told her, though it wasn't necessarily true, "If Tanya was my girlfriend, I would have mentioned it, but she wasn't. She was a woman I used to sleep with and occasionally take to events when I needed a date. _That_ wasn't something I was proud to share with you."

The girl was as close to a virgin as it was possible to be, without actually holding the status, when he had first taken her and too young to empathize with a man's need for sexual gratification even when there was no time or desire for a full relationship. Compared to Emmett and Jasper he had always considered himself conservative and discreet, but those same transgressions left him feeling soiled and less than worthy of her innocence.

It had been an easily hidden imbalance between them had he been successful in keeping women like Tanya away from his Bella.

She tried to look brave and unfazed but the color that tinted her pretty face gave her away, "You don't have to treat me like I'm made of glass," she fidgeted, "I'm afraid your making me out to be something I'm not and when I finally blow it and break that illusion for you-"

"_See_, that's exactly what I mean. I don't want my past to make you unsure about my feelings for you. Those women were no good, Bella." His temper spiked quickly, not at her but the fact that such pointless thoughts had been introduced to her. She had plenty more important things to worry about; a healthy baby and they family she left behind that had a prominent fixture in Edward's concerns.

"What makes me any different from-"

"_Stop_," Edward demanded in a voice kind enough to sound like a request. He pressed his thumb across her pink lips as though he was sealing them together, "It's not even comparable. I've had the unfortunate experience of knowing the difference between how people threat you when you have money and when you haven't have a dollar to your name, and trust me… it's a disgusting contrast. Please don't concern yourself because I didn't give them the benefit of the doubt."

She tried again, the stubborn darling, "Tanya… she said-"

He slumped back on his heels with a groan, allotting enough room between them to toss his arms out in exasperation without risk to her. "I couldn't care less what Tanya said. She shouldn't have stepped foot in the same room as you, much less been allowed to put nonsense into your head."

"She was actually very reasonable towards me once you stopped yelling at her," Bella sniffed, "I think she really had feelings for you. You could have handled it better," she suggested meekly.

The blonde beauty had played her cards impeccably and had earned exemption from his refusal to keep a regular partner by expressing absolutely no desire to deepen the relationship. Nothing in their previous interactions would indicate she'd react to his involvement with Bella the way she did. Edward had been as surprised as he was angered to find out she had been hiding her true intentions.

He had never cared for people telling him what to do and had very little tolerance for being called out—regardless of whether he _knew_ he had been wrong—but he could never begrudge Bella her opinion and it was clear she was just sympathetic to Tanya's plight.

The last thing he wanted was for his love to associate guilt with his affection for her, "Bella, darling, I know what it looked like but what me and her had wasn't real. I can see now that I shouldn't have let what we had carry on for as long as it did," he admitted, capturing her busy hands between his own.

"But Tanya worked our relationship like game. She was never herself, only what she thought I wanted her to be. She didn't make me massage her feet or push me to the very brink of sanity by trying to set up my baby sister and my dog of a best friend…" Edward grinned pointedly, coaxing a giggle out of her.

"I realize that might seem like something close to devotion on the surface, but she wasn't concerned with getting me to love her or even _know_ her, just making sure that she was the best alternative when I was finally ready to settle," he pressed her palm to his lips and wondered briefly if he would ever have gotten to the point if Bella hadn't come to him. If Tanya would have eventually became an attractive alternative to loneliness, "But I didn't have to. I found the most amazing woman, who makes me happier than I've ever been and that's just the risk she'd been willing to take."

She seemed to ponder that for a few moments before nodding in reluctant understanding, "I just felt… terrible. Jake embarrassed me so badly when he slept with Leah and even then he never _chose_ her over me. I couldn't imagine-"

"I know, love," he apologized earnestly. Although he was unremorseful about his treatment of Tanya, he was never okay with hurting Bella, "I'm sorry I acted that way in front of you. I'm ashamed you had to hear it. My temper is not something you should ever be exposed to."

Far from being soothed by his atonement, her gaze dropped into her lap, a little frown forming between her brows.

"What is it?" he insisted nervously when it became clear she wasn't going to voice her worry without prompting.

"She said that you were careful around me because of the baby..."

Edward stiffened, "Isabella-"

"Is that-" she seemed to steel herself, "Is the baby the difference between me and all of them?"

He crooked his head slightly, trying to understand, "I'm not even really sure what you're asking."

She laughed humorously, eyes still in her lap, "I don't either, really. I guess, what I mean to say- Is the fact that I'm pregnant the only reason you've come to treat me so well… care about me?"

He almost laughed—almost wrote off the ridiculous question before even considering it—but one look at her tense little frame told him how serious she was, how much the answer she was waiting for frightened her. The pause gave him just enough time to realize that dismissing the notion entirely would be boarding dangerously on the line of dishonestly, for in the beginning, it _was_ the pregnancy that made Bella someone to protect instead of someone to protect himself from. Though he found it unlikely that he'd have been able to distrust the genuinely golden hearted girl—he found it hard to predict the actions of the man he was before she came into his life.

Even now, the mere thought of the child warmed his chest with the swirl of paternal pride, but when he had first realized the intensity of his feelings for its mother, the baby brought him more trepidation than anything positive. It had been seeing that tiny body on the sonogram for the first time, that helpless but perfect little being, that had transformed Bella's pregnancy from a hindrance to their relationship into a part of her he couldn't wait to meet and hold.

Even though the urge hadn't so much as crossed his mind two months ago, Edward cherished the experience with Bella—getting ready to be parents. How long would it have taken the young woman to be receptive to having children had it not been for this accidental pregnancy? Five years? Ten? Certainly much longer than he would have been wanting to wait, at his… advanced age. He had come to see this baby as an ideal for his relationship with Bella, a shortcut to a romance that otherwise would have been painfully slow to develop; but it was by no stretch of the imagination what he loved most about her. The truth was, the baby _did_ have a large part in shaping them, but it didn't create feelings out of thin air.

"Come here," he murmured, dropping a light kiss on her forehead before heaving himself off the ground. Feeling all at once like there was too much space between them, he carefully scooped her from the chair that had her trapped and claimed the seat for himself, placing her in his lap instead. It was his favorite place to have the stunning female and it often gave him the courage and clear mind to say things that would otherwise escape him.

"I can't honestly say that this baby had no role in the way I responded to you. I thought you were absolutely beautiful from the moment I laid eyes on you but I'm a stubborn man and I can't say for certain that would have been enough," he told her honestly, knowing she appreciated it by the way she nestled into him.

"I'll admit that your pregnancy dropped my guard some. I wanted so badly to keep both of you safe that I didn't think twice about letting you in. But Bella, if that was the extent of my feelings for you, an obligation and fondness… You'd still _just_ be a new friend I hoped to help through hard times, not a woman I'd do absolutely anything for, carrying a child I want to claim for my own, my- my daughter," his breath quivered.

Holding nothing back, he pinched her chin between his fingers and directed her warm gaze towards the sincerity in his, "Darling, I do love the baby, so much," he pressed his palm onto the distended bump between them, "but mainly because I'm in love with her mother and she's an extension of you."

And though Bella had never acted her tender age, she responded to the 'L-word' just as forcefully as the silliest of school girls; lighting the room with a smile so carefree it was if the last hour had never happened.

If Edward had thought for a moment that the declaration he was so wary to make would garner such a reaction, he would have told her ages ago.

"Really?" she beamed at him happily, her face just inches from his, "You never said that before, not like that."

"I thought it was obvious," he shrugged, but blushed some when she lifted a brow to call him out, "…And I'm a coward," he added with a smirk.

"I do too, you know," she whispered shyly.

Edward felt a burn of hope too powerful to accept without questioning. He pulled her into a tight hug, trying to convince himself that just having her with him, just being able to hold her close, was more than enough. "Bella, you don't have to say that," he stressed, "I know my feelings for you are… unusually strong. I don't want to frighten you but I don't want to confuse you either."

He yelped when she flicked his nose, _hard_. "I'm not trying to appease you, Edward. _I love you_. How could I not? You've done so much for us."

Even the sharp sting of her reprimand couldn't distract him from the most beautiful three words he'd ever heard. He felt like the ultimate hypocrite for thinking her silly over her reaction to his admission when hers made him want to do wonderful, ridiculous things. He grinned at her, torn between crying and proposing but mercifully repressing both, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought it was obvious," she grinned.

**AN; Next chapter, we hear from Emmett. :]**

**Thanks for all the love and reviews. You all have been great, even in my absence.**


	25. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: All Twilight characters and core personality traits are the property of SM. I own nothing, nor do I plan on profiting from using her work. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Nise7465 for cleaning this up for us. She's an angel and the hardest worker on FF.

You guys are too cool with the reviews and support. I truly have the best readers and I cant thank you enough.

(Whoever is anonymously bitching for updates for this story when in the reviews for my other stories when I update them… knock that shit off. lol)

_If you don't want to read the lemon, you can skip from the little star (*) down to the end of the section. _

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Waking up next to Bella was always a source of internal conflict for him. More often than not, Edward's shift began so early that the lovely female was still sleeping when the alarm tore him from his own dreams. Now that she was further along in her pregnancy, the exhaustion of carrying their child enabled her to snooze right through the harsh beeping. Though he was more aware than anyone of how important rest was to the expecting mother, he loathed starting his day without any interaction with her.

Edward wouldn't allow himself to overtly wake her up—no matter how many times she'd given him permission to do so. He did, however shamefully, find himself doing things that might _accidently_ rouse her; being a little too loud as he readied for work, or kissing her lips a little too vigorously when leaving a silent goodbye. He'd apologize for waking her with unskillfully veiled delight and, because she was already up, would spend several stolen minutes with her before reluctantly leaving their bed. Even when she needn't be anywhere for hours, she'd force her little eyes open long enough to keep him company.

This morning he was feeling decidedly less subtle in his scheming. He didn't need to go into the hospital but had another important appointment that had been put off too long for comfort. Edward was not happy about leaving Bella's side on one of his prized days off, would had loved to have taken her with him, but the nature of the errand was something he wasn't fully ready to share with her yet.

The knowledge that she was magnificently naked under the thin summer sheet soured the thought of leaving even further. He mischievously pulled the cover down to her waist, wanting to explore with his eyes what he had only felt in the darkness during the previous night's love making.

Bella's body was as breathtaking as always—the radiant skin that gave her sweet face an angelic glow, flawlessly covering every inch of tight, youthful frame. Even so, the sexual nature of his exploration was weakened some by the sight of her rounded belly. He smiled warmly as he smoothed a palm across it, his awed thoughts turning to the tiny being inside.

It was this little one that was worth spending the morning away from her mother. Edward needed to know they'd be taken care of, no matter what.

Bella's small hand joined his without warning, her sleepy eyes still closed tight over a weak smile, "Are you fondling me?" she murmured, only partially conscious.

"We're bonding," he grinned, his voice thick with sleep and wonder, "she's getting so big, love. Every time I see you like this I can tell she's grown a just little more."

Bella laughed tiredly and made a lazy attempt at batting his hand off her abdomen, "You're watching me grow?" she tried to sound outraged but was interrupted by a sweet yawn as she stretched her limbs lithely. "I feel like a Chia-pet."

"You're a thousand times cuter than a terracotta bunny," he declared.

The beautiful girl flipped onto her back, her full breasts jiggling with the movement before settling in perfect, firm mounds over her heart. His previously unnoticed erection firmed up as well and he tried to assess her level of fatigue to determine whether or not to press his need against her hip in suggestion.

"What are we doing today?" she wondered aloud, humming lightly as he brushed his fingers along the inside of her thigh, checking for receptiveness.

"_You_ get to sleep in, lucky girl," he suggested, nipping at her neck in a fashion that wasn't at all conducive to rest, "_I_ have to meet with my accountant to go over a few things," She was more than capable of going without him for a few hours; the regret in his voice was purely due to his own disappointment.

Her pink lips shaped into a charming pout, "All day?"

Edward chuckled, "As if anything could keep me away from you for an entire day," he smiled to match hers, dropping quick kisses, "I just need to sign off on a few matters in person. I pay him a great deal of money to put in the time I'd rather be spending with you, darling."

He meant it, of course, but also hoped the little compliments would move the conversation away from inquiry. He wasn't sure how she'd react to knowing that it was mainly the sale of the property he'd been loaning to his brother and Rose that needed his attention. She'd no doubt find some ridiculous way to blame herself for the situation.

Edward wasn't so cruel or angry that he'd force a member of his family out of their home. He had Jenks present his estranged sibling with a rent package even a monkey would be able to handle, a meager percentage of the home's actual mortgage payment, but the offer had been turned down and Emmett gave notice of leave fairly soon after the family dinner fiasco. Having only purchased it to put a roof over his brother's head in the first place, Edward put it back on the market and received multiple offers the very first week it was listed. He accepted a contract that was slightly lower in amount than the others, but had come from a couple with several small children.

When Em moved in years before, he'd excitedly built a play area for the family Rosalie ended up being unable to produce or too selfish to adopt. He hoped it would finally get some use.

Bella didn't seem as though she was interested in details, curling into his side in answer to his touches.

"Are you going to give me a proper send off?" he hummed into her mess of loose curls, his palm resting on the very lowest part of her belly that could still be considered appropriate. "It might make leaving a little easier."

Her smirk was mischievous, countering the innocence in her tone, "You want me to make you breakfast?" she offered playfully, an intentional misinterpretation of his question.

Bella squealed gleefully as he pounced, rendering the small female defenseless. Edward was as careful as always as he used one strong arm to hold his body firmly over hers and freed up his other to tickle her sensitive sides. "I know you can do better than that," he grunted from the effort of holding her down, knowing it was unlikely she could hear through all her giggling, "I can think of one thing in this word more enticing than your waffles, Miss Swan."

He knew his Bella would have continued on with her teasing but when he discontinued his assault to allow her to catch her breath both were instantly aware of the position of his hips, nestled securely between her soft, bare thighs. His breathing was suddenly just as labored as hers. Should he shift forward with intent, his member would find the entrance to her heat with very little difficulty.

"_Edward_," she whispered softly, pulling his gaze away from his pulsing tip and straight into her hooded, dark eyes.

Her more experienced lover knew the hint of desperation in her call was the demure girl's version of a plea. He also knew she was never truly comfortable with him hovering over her and their fragile child during their love making. Mostly, the couple came together with him taking her in various ways from behind, or occasionally, with her bottom lined up with the edge of the bed so he was able to stand as he took her. Both had their draw backs, one failing to give him a clear view of that gorgeous, flushed face, the other allowing less contact with her warm body than he would prefer.

Determined, Edward rolled off of her and onto his back in the center of the bed. Before she had an opportunity to voice her full protest she found herself atop of him, sitting upright above him and straddling his hips.

This wasn't something he had thought she was ready for and he knew he'd probably been right when her face blanched and her arms crossed in front of her, twitching as though she was unsure which part of her body she wanted to cover most.

"Stop that," he murmured, tugging at her hands until they dropped to her side, "You're perfect, Bella."

The young woman smiled timidly, "I feel a little exposed up here," she forced a laugh that didn't quite convey the desired level of nonchalance. Her eyes darted around the room at their nonexistent audience.

"I confess I do have a very thorough view," he mused thickly as he took reverent inventory of her faultless form. He could already imagine the way her heavy breasts would sway above him as they moved together. His fingers clenched with the effort of keeping them off her hips, "But you're right. I won't tolerate the lamps and dressers staring at you so brazenly. I'm not a man that likes to share."

She laughed and visibly relaxed when he reached down and pulled the thin white sheet completely over their heads, trapping them both in a tent of softly filtered morning light.

Bella's dark hair clashed beautifully with the incandescent backdrop and the carefree smile on her face made her look so much like an angel that not one person in the entire world would have been able to convince him that she was anything but.

"I love you," he told her, the words having been escaping him at regular, almost uncontrollable intervals since his first admission the week previous.

She beamed as she returned the sentiment.

*His fingers skimmed down the front of her body, exploring, teasing a line from throat to sex. This time, he was able to see clearly the way her lashes fluttered closed in response to his touch, the flush of her cheeks derived from anticipation alone, and found himself nearly unable to concentrate on anything else. She was ready for him before his hand had even reached its destination, evident by the heat and moisture that slickened not only her entrance, but also the inner most curve of her shapely thighs.

"Up, baby," he patted her hip with the command, needing her to rise a few agonizing inches in order for him to sink his eagerness where both needed him to be, "Just a little, love. I want inside of you."

He groaned, guttural, just shy of tormented, but didn't allow himself to look away when she took the initiative and wrapped her warm little hand around his shaft, manipulating him until his tip was embedded securely enough. She was cautious with her weight as she lowered to sheath him deeply inside of her, sensitive to the level of penetration the position allowed.

Edward clutched at her hips, holding them steady for several seconds—lest he spill himself embarrassingly—under the guise of guiding her.

"Oh, Bella," he breathed. Even though the sheet that covered them was unsubstantial, it seemed all at once stiflingly warm in their small bubble of hiding. The slight light-headedness the heat inflicted did nothing but add to the pleasure in his groin. "Already? I can feel you, love…I haven't even moved yet and you're already tightening around me. Do you like this, Bella? Sitting on top of me so I can see all of you?" he crooned, low and doting.

She whimpered softly, leaning forward till the tips of her long tendrils of hair tickled at his chest. Bella began to rock her bottom tentatively, perhaps in punishment for his light goading. "Like this?" she asked, innocent, eager, and seeking his approval.

He would have loved to feel her ridding him with more thrust than grind but knew it was more labor intensive than he'd feel comfortable with in her current condition. Being inside of her in any way was just different degrees of rapture and he was happy to follow her lead.

Edward slid his thumbs across her sharp pelvic bones in soothing circles, "_Just_ like that. You're doing so good, pretty girl."

Her rhythm picked up dramatically after the encouragement. Her dark eyes searched for his reactions at first, but her attention waned in direct correlation to her nervousness as she began to allow herself to enjoy the pleasure she was bringing them.

He gazed up at her with more affection than he could process and realized the haziness in his mind had nothing to do with the heat surrounded them and everything to do with love too strong for him rationalize.

The view of the base of his cock as it rubbed against her clit in time with her thrusts—a sliver of firm red flesh that couldn't quite fit inside her tiny body with the rest of his girth—was one of the most arousing sights to ever grace him. "I wish you could see what I'm seeing, love," he murmured, shallowly, "to watch myself disappear inside you… Your little pussy trying to get me all in. I love watching us come together like this."

Bella's glossy stare dropped curiously to the picture described and she giggled when it was hampered by the jutting of her belly, "This is kind of a preemptive strike to not being able to see my feet, isn't it?"

He laughed with her, alight with the sound of her happiness, and placed his hand on the bulge, supporting it tenderly as her body swayed. "I think this view is just a lovely," he smiled.

The small beauty rocked herself until she was trembling and boneless and mewing above him and, sensing she had reached the extent of her endurance, he pivoted a few powerful thrusts upwards her before she came crashing down into his arms.

Edward petted her back in long, light strokes as he gritted his teeth from the force of the pulsing that emptied his seed inside of her.

That morning, when he crawled out of bed, he didn't mind at all that she was still sleeping peacefully.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

The office of Jason Jenks was far from Edward's favorite place to be. For the majority of his life he had felt nothing but resentment towards the money he entrusted into the care of the portly, stern man and he tried to visit as seldom as possible. Despite even this neglect, the skilled finical adviser had done wonders with their investments, growing his assets substantially from the amount that had been originally inherited.

The wealthy Cullen son noticed Jenks looked significantly happier to see him on this particular meeting. The man was… _sweating_ noticeably less than he normally did when addressing Edward's recent expenditures and he suspected it was due to the massive cut he had made to his familial handouts. Jenks was the best in the business because he firmly believed that every _dime_ spent should have purpose and griped every chance he got about the money wasted on Emmett and Rose's frivolous bills.

"Just shy of five hundred thousand over the previous purchase price is what you cleared after the sale of the Madison Park estate," Jenks informed him after more mundane topics had been covered.

He raised a brow, slightly impressed. Even on a multi-million dollar property, that was still substantial, "In this market? My brother's addition must have been aptly done."

The elder, more cynical of the two looked reluctant to give Emmett a lick of credit, "You bought low and that area has recovered significantly since. Not to mention, you _did_ give him one hundred and fifty thousand to do the work," he then seemed to remember he was speaking about a member of his client's family and moved on quickly, "Do you have any preference on where you'd like those founds to go or-"

"Yes," Edward spoke up, plans already in mind, "I'd like for half of it to be transferred into a checking account for Emmett."

The vein in Jenks head pulsed dangerously, "But you said we were done with them…" It was so very near a child-like whine that Edward had a hard time curbing a laugh.

"We are," he confirmed coolly, "I'm done giving my brother a free ride but I'm not going to leave him without options. It'll be up to him whether he blows every cent or, hopefully, puts it into an education or trade that allows him to support his own family."

Like most advice that came from the mouth of Carlisle Cullen, he had eventually come to agree that his elder sibling's work ethic could have been a creature of his very own making. He didn't feel right, pulling Emmett's entire world apart. Bella and the baby would always be his priority from there on out but he still had plenty to provide for them with, more than the three of them would ever be able to spend.

The accountant was as non-combative as he was opinionated and only gave a resigned grunt before scrawling angrily across his note pad, "And the rest?"

Edward smiled, proud of this particular investment, "I'd like the remainder to go towards a trust fund I'll be able to add to annually."

Beady eyes blinked up at him, "That little girlfriend of yours we read about in the paper getting ready to go to school?" Jenks tittered huskily.

Because the man had never met his Bella personally, hence didn't know who he was insulting, and because he had never made a single joke in their entire working relationship, Edward took the jab in good grace.

He smiled thinly, "It would be for our child. We're expecting a daughter."

"Congratulations," the unmarried, childless man offered with what sounded like a hint of sympathy.

"Thank you. We haven't picked out a name yet," Edward frowned slightly at the realization, making a note to ask Bella if she had something in mind, "I'll have to get back to you on the specifics."

Jenks penned down a few more notes before sitting back in his chair more comfortably, a posture that came after all matters had been concluded. "I'll make sure to have those things taken care of for you, Dr. Cullen. If that's all-"

"It's not, actually," Edward cleared his throat. He hadn't been sure he was going to go through with this terrifying request but the thought had been weighing more heavily on his mind with every moment he spent with Bella.

"Sir?"

"I need you to put together a current financial statement to submit to my attorney so he'll be able to fashion a prenuptial agreement," he instructed definitively.

Jenks was sweating again. "I- didn't realize you… Congratulations, _again_."

He shrugged awkwardly, "I haven't asked her yet. It'll be soon though, if she'll have me. I'd prefer if we were a family by the time the baby comes."

It was infinitely easier to tell this strained acquaintance about his intentions towards his future than even contemplating telling his family. Jenks couldn't care less if Bella rejected him but Esme or Alice would be devastated. _He_ would be devastated. Their connection, though deep, was still so new and his impulse was to leave well enough alone, allow things to progress without pressure, but the idea of not fortifying that bond before the child came brought an even more compelling host of anxieties.

He wasn't bothered that the baby girl didn't share his blood, but he yearned for her and her mother to share his name.

Jenks made a grunt of understanding, "Well, I commend you for thinking ahead to protect your assets," he nodded appreciatively, ever the businessman, "What stipulations did you have in mind? We can submit a standard, flat payment separation package, to increase in amount should the marriage be dissolved after its tenth anniversary…"

Edward bristled, "You misunderstand," he corrected, just a bit hard, "In the event of our divorce…" he choked out the word, "Isabella will be entitle to everything from the Masen fortune she is awarded by the state of Washington and not a dime less. I only mean to request that she forfeit, for the first five years of our marriage, any rights to Cullen accounts."

He felt guilty for even this small condition, but the funds he held from his adopted family weren't really all that considerable to begin with, wouldn't be until Carlisle and Esme's passing. He trusted Bella explicitly but realized marrying after such a brief courtship looked questionable on paper. It wouldn't be right to speak for the whole family while making this decision.

"No!" the scandalized advisor blurted, startling them both. "I'm sorry, sir, it's just… we're dealing with common law here, she could easily walk away with half of everything."

Intelligent enough to figure that out on his own, he nodded dismissively, "And I'd still be left with more than enough to make due. I'm not going to start our marriage by expecting its failure."

Jenks wiped at his reddened face with a cloth from his pocket, "I apologize for speaking so candidly but that's poor man logic, Dr. Cullen. This is _tens of millions_ you're putting at stake here."

Edward didn't particularly want to see the man have a heart-attack, nor did he have any intention of changing his stance on the nature of the pre-nup. He took his most recent set of personal copies off the desk and stood to leave.

"Please fax the figures to Max when you've finished them, Jenks, " he smiled, handsome face alight with the rare childish pleasure that came from messing with someone so chronically serious, "And if you're so worried about losing half of the account, be nice to my Bella and perhaps she'll hire you if this marriage thing doesn't work out."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"No. Not going to happen," he said firmly, face skewed with distaste.

Edward never thought he would have cause to deny Bella anything… But this? He couldn't do it. Having been a rather feminine, scrawny little boy with no reliable male figure in his life to teach him the ropes and a name that hadn't been in vogue in several decades, he knew how cruel children could be. The little girl that was half Bella was sure to be uncommonly beautiful but he didn't see the point of giving those little brats anything to pick on.

She glared at him, and such a show of displeasure would have given him cause to reconsider had the effect not been dulled by the twitching of her lips that gave away the smile she was trying to suppress.

"But it's unique and personal!"

"It's absolutely horrid. She'd be teased mercilessly," he covered her rounded belly with one large palm, assuring the child within she'd be protected—even from her well intentioned mother, if need be.

"Alice loved it," Bella huffed, annunciating it fondly, incase the grand effect had been somehow lost on him during the first several attempts, "Renesmee. R-e-n-e-s-m-e-e."

"_Alice_ tried to get her name legally changed to 'Anastasia' during her adoption process," he supplied to discredit. Granted, she had been fifteen at the time and suffering something of an identity crisis after being taken from a severely neglectful household. Edward sighed and pressed a loving kiss onto Bella's knitted brow. Even during this first mild argument, she was nothing short of adorable. "I love that you'd like to honor our mothers, but maybe a middle name instead?"

She laughed lightly, "_Okay_, I get it. I wasn't married to the name. I'll accept your veto," she rolled her little eyes at his noisy exhale of relief, "I… have another. I wasn't sure you'd approve though."

He reacted to her sudden nervousness with a soft, reassuring smile; even as he internally fretted over the name she considered _less_ of a crowd pleaser than _Renesmee_. "Let's hear it, love."

"You don't- it's just a suggestion. If you don't want her to have it, that'll be fine," she whispered, twisting her fingers into knots.

He felt remorse wash over him, second guessing his tactic of so vehemently rejecting her first suggestion. It had probably taken a great deal of thought, coming up with something so…creative. His intention was to keep his child from being bullied at school, not to hurt Bella's feelings.

"This is… beyond presumptuous of me," she continued meekly, "but I was thinking, maybe _Elizabeth_?"

It took a few moments of her tense staring for him to realize that the choice was not a coincidence; that Bella had truly suggested she name her child after his beloved mother. He felt a moment of panic as his eyes began to sting in an only vaguely familiar way.

She misunderstood the tenor of his emotion. "That crossed a line, didn't it?" she choked, upset, "I'm sorry. I just thought… she was so important to you and it might be, special? We'll come up with something el-"

"_Bella_…"

She cut off only when he pulled her into him a touch too tightly, silencing her with a gentle smothering against his chest while he regained composure enough to speak without embarrassing himself. Her muffled sounds suggested she was still apologizing into the fabric of his shirt.

"Bella, stop," he said softly, tone reverent, "You'd really name her after my mom, baby?"

Her teeth tugged at her bottom lip, "From everything you've told me about her, I can't think of anyone I'd rather her aspire to emulate," she smiled, searching his expression tentatively, "Plus, it's a lovely name."

Edward shook his head with a small, disbelieving laugh, sure that nothing he said would properly convey the way he felt about her at that moment. If there had been any doubts left in his mind about Bella's acceptance of him in her child's life, they had just been put to rest. He laid his chin on her shoulder and his hand on her abdomen, "Our little Elizabeth," he mused, overcome.

Her body sagged with relief, "You like it?"

"Love it. Love you," he chuckled at the understatement. The utterance of his mother's name had for years left him with a dull ache, a painful spike of longing. As much as he loved her, it was almost easier to forget than it was to miss her all the time. How quickly Bella had changed the emotions that came from hearing that name; had turned it from something to avoid into something he wanted to say again and again.

The couple's moment was interrupted by the intrusive sound of the door bell. They looked at one another expectantly. "Were you expecting someone?" he asked, knowing even before she answered that she would have mentioned it earlier if she was.

Bella shook her head but pushed herself slowly off his lap and onto her feet, "No but it's probably Jazz," she guessed. "His shift's normally over around this time, isn't it?"

Edward groaned and stretched petulantly across the couch at her prediction, leaving no room on the most comfortable sectional in the room for anyone else. The Texan had avoided them for a meager two days before realizing that _Button_ wasn't angry with him over his explosive dinner with Alice and was now back to being every bit as smitten with her as always.

"Remind him he doesn't live here, please," he called after her.

His ears picked up the anticipated low rumble of a male voice coming from the foyer but when an unusual amount of time passed without Bella's return he grew worried. That worry was nothing, though, in comparison to what he felt when she walked back into the room with his brother.

Emmett Cullen stood, hands shoved sheepishly in his front pockets as he waited for his brother's acceptance or rejection. Little Bella looked equally unsure of herself, shifting her weight from foot to foot in an awkward sort of dance.

Edward sighed somewhere between affection for his brother and irritation at the unexpected visit. He looked to Bella with tired indulgence, "Darling… we really need to have a conversation about who you allow into our home or you're losing your door opening privileges."

Emmett smiled as the tension was eased by the joke, his relief shown in a flash of white teeth. The younger sibling felt odd, seeing him after so many weeks of silence. The two Cullen's weren't overly close but this spell of separation was by far the longest they'd ever gone without seeing each other. If he hadn't been so busy with Bella, he probably would have really felt that loss.

She grinned, "Look at those dimples…How was I supposed to turn those away?" she reached up and pinched the huge man's cheek, humbling both brothers with her eagerness to forgive. "I'm going to call Alice. Promised her I'd tell her the second we agreed on a name. Something about personalized nursery decals and embroidered cloth diapers," she patter her belly.

Neither of them were fooled by her excuse to make a hasty exit. Edward didn't know whether to feel grateful for the privacy she had given them or abandoned in his time of need.

"She's really something special, that one," Emmett broke the silence she had left behind after she had darted all the way up the stairs.

"Too good for me," Edward acknowledged. He tried his best not to make their first conversation in weeks a volatile one; but the anger he still felt was impossible to keep out of his tone altogether.

Emmett grinned weakly but made no move to invite himself further into the room, "She's much bigger than last time. Mom said you were having a girl."

"Baby Elizabeth," the redhead announced proudly, "Sit, down, Em, you look like an idiot," he waved his hand toward the seat across from him.

Emmett drug his feet across floor, every move hesitant, "I owe you an apology…" he murmured, eyes down.

"You owe _her_ an apology," Edward snapped, despite his best efforts.

"I did, Ed. _I swear_… Before I even stepped foot in your house."

"_Our_ house," he corrected, "and you're fortunate Bella's kind enough to accept whatever half-assed tale of regret you were able to convey in the sixty seconds she was gone to open the door."

His brother winced, "I know what happened was awful but _you know_ I never intended to hurt your girl. I'm trying really fucking hard to be happy for you, I am. It's just hard to see your life coming together perfectly when mine's falling apart…" he croaked, rubbing at his temples anxiously.

Edward didn't like the envy in that comment, "There has never been any measure of success to come to me that I hadn't been willing to share with you, Emmett," he pointed out, hurt. For all the animosity between them now, what bothered him the most was that he had always tried to do right by his older brother; had never suspected it wasn't enough to negate jealousy.

Silence took the form of admitted guilt. The two of the looked each other over, trying to get a sense for the true amount of damage that had been done to their relationship.

"Dad won't talk to me," Emmett said so suddenly that it almost seemed like a change of subject, "Did you know that? He won't return my calls, not even when mom begs. He fucking loves you so much," no bitterness, just resignation.

"He loves us all—you, me and Ally."

"Obligatorily, yeah. We're his kids. But he's _proud_ to have you."

Edward felt immediately defensive of his father and mentor, even knowing deep down that Carlisle had always held him in highest regard. The two of them just _worked_. "Carlisle never tried to make you feel unworthy. That's not fair."

"Of course it's fair. Why wouldn't he like you best, Ed?" Emmett shrugged with the certainty of someone stating fact, "You're smart as hell and you've always kept your nose clean because you've never given a fuck about anything but school. The only time he ever looked at me the way he looks at you was on my wedding day," the eldest child claimed, "I was a fuck up but at least I was able to make one serious commitment, right?" he laughed with a shake of his head, "Wrong. Rose and I just filed for divorce."

Edward processed that information and felt guilty that his first thought was to call Jenks and tell him not to put any money in Emmett's name until after it was safe from being lost to Rosalie's greed in a divorce settlement. He cleared his throat and tried to work up some remorse for the end of his brother's marriage. "I'm sorry you've been going through this without me," he worded carefully.

Under closer examination, the normally joyful Cullen son looked worn down, the stress he rarely entertained displayed in the heavy bags under his red rimmed blue eyes. "It was along time coming. When we found out she couldn't have kids… I don't even know who that woman is any more. I was miserable, Ed, but I stayed because I didn't want to admit that my marriage was just one more thing I had failed at."

Edward leaned forward and placed comforting hand on his brother's shoulder, "No one would have thought that. We hated seeing you unhappy with her…"

"Not as much as they hated seeing you alone," Emmett stressed, "I was in a shitty relationship but it still looked a hell of a lot better than what you were doing. Then out of the blue you have Isabella and a baby and you guys are so fucking happy it was impossible to see how _not_ happy we were."

He tried to understand the other man's pain but couldn't find it within himself to regret showing off the woman that had brought him so much fulfillment. He couldn't pretend to love Bella any less, not for anyone. "We weren't acting that way to hurt you."

"You think I don't know that?" Em frowned, incredulous, "I'm not trying to make excuses. I'm just trying to explain where my fucked up head was at when I said that shit," his voice dropped low, "I never meant to hurt my family. I never meant to take advantage of you, Ed."

"I believe that," Edward allowed, knowing it was true. The wayward sibling had serious maturity issues but not a malicious bone in his body; perhaps Rose's hard disposition had balanced him when no one else had been able to stand her.

He ran his fingers through his hair, a practice that had been few and far between since Bella's calming presence had entered his life, "The house in Madison sold last week," he tweaked the subject in a more productive direction. "Where have you been living?"

He had been in contact with Carlisle several times a week as he considered joining his father's practice before the baby came. He knew Emmett hadn't moved back home—Esme would have been sick with joy.

Emmett shifted, "I, eh… I've been crashing on couches for a few weeks while I look for work. Rose moved back in with her dad and step mom in Portland."

He nodded, suspecting as much. It wasn't great news, considering most of the friends from Em's past were world-class idiots. "Look, you're welcome to the back house until you figure out what you'd like to do," Edward wondered if he should clear it with Bella before making the offer but knew she wouldn't mind; she had been gently encouraging him to make amends since the fight. He felt much more confident with the idea knowing Rosalie was in entirely different state than his little family.

More than anything, he just wanted things his between him and his oldest friend to be back to normal.

His brother's cobalt gaze shot up hopefully but he continued on before he could make a hasty acceptance, "_Wait_. I know that you and Rose have had breakups in the past and to be honest, I don't give a fuck if you guys manage to work it out or not this time around," he divulged bluntly, not wanting to carry any blame for keeping the couple apart with something akin to an ultimatum. Carlisle had already stressed the unfairness of offering aid with expectation, "But if you have any contact with her, it won't be here, Emmett. Keep her away from Bella or it wouldn't matter how much I miss you, you'll be out of here."

Emmett laughed morosely, "I respect that, brother. Its moot, though," he claimed, finally relaxing into a less threatened posture. "I can't be with her any more. I couldn't make it work."

"You did more than anyone else would have been willing to," he comforted. If anyone could empathize with not wanting to work through a difficult relationship, it was Edward Cullen. "That woman was intolerable."

"She wasn't always like that. I swear to God she wasn't always this… bitter," Emmett fervently defended his wife, "When I meet her, she let me see a different side of herself and I didn't give a fuck that she was so hard around every one else. It almost felt better that way, to be the only one she trusted enough to let her guard down with."

"You miss her," he noted, trying to be realistic about the permanence of this separation.

"More than you know," his lovelorn sibling confirmed, "But I miss her more when I'm _right fucking next to her_, Ed. With things like this, I can at least hurt because I'm not with the woman I fell in love with… The last year of our marriage, it's been killing me because I can't pretend that I don't know she doesn't exist any more."

The two men, brothers, _friends_, talked more amicably than either had hoped for until they were interrupted by the delivery of an ostentatious flower arrangement Jason Jenks sent to Bella to "congratulate her on the expected addition".

Edward laughed quietly to himself as Emmett dragged the monstrosity into the house.

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An: Thank you all so much for the feedback and just supporting and reading the story in general. It means more than you know.


	26. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: All Twilight characters and core personality traits are the property of SM. I own nothing, nor do I plan on profiting from using her work. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Hey guys. Remember me? I miss you all and I'm sorry. :( **

**Nise7456 beta'ed this for us, as always. She's too cool, even if she has some serious worm penance to serve in order to make up for her childhood misdeeds. Thanks you, I'd be lost without your help. **_**  
**_

The Cullen females had stolen Bella away the moment she and Edward arrived for the newly reinstated family dinner and her vanquished mate had been sending pitiful glances towards the group of women from which he had been promptly rejected ever since. His mother and sister coddled and delighted over the expecting brunette in a fashion he considered to be solely his right and privilege.

His father sat beside him, similarly excluded from baby shower plans, looking just as sullen and feeling every bit as left out. Emmett was to arrive later that evening but until then, they were of an out numbered gender.

"They don't even know babies like we know babies," the elder of the two handsome doctors muttered testily, though nowhere close to loud enough that he ran the risk of his griping being heard by his wife, "_We_ know babies. No uterus needed."

Edward gave a hard, indignant nod, "You're more right than you know," he grunted, attention turning to his small, oblivious sibling as her giggle carried across the room, "I came home from work yesterday and caught Alice trying to talk Bella into letting her put highlights in her hair," he bristled at the memory, "She wanted to use _bleach_ on my pregnant girlfriend."

Carlisle kept his amusement subdued so as not to be seen as an accomplice, "Bella's far enough along that it probably wouldn't have been an issue, son."

Edward scowled darkly and sipped at the cup of warm chocolate his mother had placated him with. "That shit smells like it could strip the paint off my car. Let her take risks with someone else's daughter."

The patriarch warmed with affection for his son, still accustoming himself to the intensity of Edward's love for the pretty girl and the child she carried. He even, in a small, bittersweet way, envied the experience the young couple was enjoying as something he and his own wife were never able to have. With his two eldest now mending their relationship and Emmett's taxing marriage to Rosalie coming to a long needed end, Carlisle felt more at ease in his family's dynamic than he had in years.

"Your daughter," the blonde said aloud, heady words that hung in the air between them. He cleared his throat of thickness, "It was kind of Bella, to name the baby after your mother," the grand show of commitment had been a huge relief to Carlisle; who feared his son a broken heart had Bella proved herself as flighty as her age might suggest, "That's quite a gesture."

Edward leaned forward in his seat, expression that of someone who was unsure in whether or not they wished to share a secret. He glanced quickly in Bella's direction and though he found her sufficiently distracted, lowered his voice past the possibility of being overheard. "I'm hoping she's willing to make an even bigger one. I'm going to ask her to marry me."

Carlisle did not respond immediately to the announcement but couldn't claim a great deal of surprise either. He'd known Esme for a grand total of six months when he had all but begged the darling woman to become his wife—much to his late mother's chagrin—and knew first hand the burning urge to claim love once one was lucky enough to find it. But the two of them had been older, their experience earned and their oats sown.

Bella was so young.

Though he had grown fond of the sweetheart despite even his firmly funded reservations, he knew she would be perfectly rational in turning down Edward's proposal and he was terrified that his love-skittish son wouldn't be able to reconcile such a refusal.

"Long engagement?" he asked hopefully, trying to calculate Edward's chances of success.

His boy—now a real, honest to God man, regardless of his feelings on the subject—shook his head, "An incredibly quick one, if I can talk her into it. I want to bring our girl home from the hospital as a family."

Carlisle felt for him with all the empathy one devoted father could feel for another. The sheer amount of love he knew Edward to have for the unborn baby, his longing to do right by her, was enough to halt his instinct to try and dissuade him. He appealed to a different set of logic halfheartedly, "Your mother and sister would never forgive you. Don't you think Bella has big white wedding aspirations?"

"_My_ Bella?" Edward cracked a smile, "She blushes three shades of horrified any time she gets any measure of attention," he frowned then and shook his head hastily, "Not that I don't think she deserves it… Maybe when Elizabeth is settled in we can plan a real ceremony."

"With Bella's family present," his father suggested, as he had been prone to whenever it was relevant. It would never stop bothering him that there were people missing someone as wonderful as Bella from their lives. She wasn't the type of girl that went un-mourned.

Edward no longer became instantaneously defensive and hostile at the topic, but was still just as uninterested in changing his mind. Dismissive, even, as he turned his gaze down to the layer of marshmallows that had melted on the surface of the beverage, "If she wanted them around, she'd tell me so," he shrugged.

"Has it occurred to you that she might need your encouragement at this point, son?" Carlisle asked, "You've become the most important person in her life-"

"She means every bit as much to me-"

"I'm not suggesting she doesn't," the elder man agreed, interrupting the interruption, "I'm only saying, that after all you've provided for Bella, it's possible that she would feel as though she were betraying you by expressing a need for more than you can give her."

It was a touch cruel, given the knowledge that Edward would never knowingly deny Bella anything she needed or wanted, but it was no less true and a seed that needed to be planted in his mind. The young woman was just a loyal to Edward as he was to her and Carlisle considered it highly likely that she would pine away her own desires before running the risk of hurting his feelings.

Edward's green eyes darted into the kitchen to the happily chatting beauty as though he'd suddenly be able to _see_ signs of discontent or longing.

His father sighed, hit by the guilt of worrying his child and dampening the joy the hardest working Cullen sibling had finally accepted into his life. It occurred to him that the commitment of marriage, or at least an engagement, could bring Edward the sense of security he needed to feel comfortable in sharing Bella's love with her estranged family. If he didn't constantly worry that she could be so easily stolen from him, the possessiveness that clouded his judgment needn't be so skewed.

It wasn't the cleanest logic, but he felt confident that Edward's anxiety came more from inexperience than the type of personality traits that were subject to unhealthy obsession.

Carlisle knocked back the last few mouthfuls of his cocoa—wishing vaguely that the mug contained something stronger—and rose to his feet, beckoning his son to follow.

Edward showed reluctance to leave the girl unguarded, still glaring at Alice distrustfully.

He chuckled and gave the protective partner a hard pat on the back, "Come on, kid. I promise you there's not a single drop of bleach in the entire house," he ran his fingers through perfect platinum locks, "I'm a natural blond."

The two of them went up the stairs and Edward made to go in the direction of his father's office—a safe assumption, as most of their private conversations took place in the masculine sanctuary—when Carlisle instead herded him into the adjacent master bedroom. His confusion over the deviation from their norm only deepened when his father disappeared into Esme's walk-in.

"I thought Mom made you promise you'd stop wearing her dresses," he teased, leaning awkwardly in the doorway of an obscenely large space, brimming with rows of neatly organized garments.

Carlisle snickered as he twisted the combination into the wall-mounted safe that held their small valuables and important paper work. He took a great deal of time, shifting through tiny, unlabeled boxes before he settled on a dusty one from the very back of the vault.

"Here," he grinned, satisfied with himself as he wiped it across his jeans before handing it over.

Edward pried open the old latch with nimble fingertips and took in the delicate, ornate ring inside. It was vintage; to be sure, and its presence was overwhelming. The huge diamond in the center, a stone that would have commanded full attention of the eye in any other setting, was secondary to the intricate golden framing and artfully laid smaller gems that dance around it.

He instantly wanted it for Bella.

"This mom's?" he asked, wondering whether he'd be able to talk such a piece off Esme without having to trade his first born.

"It was my mother's. Yours to give, if you're interested," Carlisle offered as though it were of less significance than it actually was, this passing of such a priceless heirloom, "Its been in the family for… a while now," he muttered instead of admitting he didn't know its actual age, "That's not the original center stone, of course. You're grandmother had a fondness for the finer things and upgraded."

Edward swayed the case rhythmically; pleased by the amount of light the meaningful trinket bounced back at him. "I'd been wondering where I'd find the right ring for her. The obvious places didn't seem right for Bella."

"Cartier has its merits but a girl like her will appreciate a symbol with less name and more legacy," Carlisle predicted, careful but determined to say his peace, "I hope you realize that there is a fairly strong chance she'll turn you down, Ed. Not because she doesn't care for you, but because she cares for her child more and is struggling to make choices that will keep that baby safe.

"Your proposal may not seem the most logical or safest bet, but you have the sincerity of your feelings for the two of them to strengthen your argument. If you're set on asking her so soon, be prepared to make that perfectly clear."

He tried to make an effort to heed the advice but found his focus stuck of the insinuation that Bella would reject him. The possibility was by no means new to his darker musings of potential outcomes but he didn't appreciate it being acknowledged outside the realm of his own insecurity.

"Why doesn't mom wear it?" he pressed on, smoothly refusing further comment.

His father snorted a laugh but allowed the dismissal, "Because my mother would have seen it melted down for scrap before she took it off and offered it up to my bride and by the time she finally passed Esme wasn't inclined to want it."

The late Mrs. Cullen was a shrew of a woman that loved her prized son and hated just about everyone else. No suitor would have been deemed good enough for him but she had made it common knowledge that she felt Esme didn't even come close. He had sweet memories of the overbearing heiress while still managing to stay objective about her true nature. She had passed before they adopted any of the kids but he believed she would have favored Edward, a stately and bright young man in appearance and behavior, with just as much bias for perfection as she had seen in him.

"But I'm not the oldest, nor the first to marry," Edward realized slowly, his eyes narrowing with equal parts confusion and suspicion. "Did Emmett refuse it?"

Carlisle had the good grace to look guilty but still defended himself, "That ring's suffered enough negativity without having resided on Rosalie's finger."

The youngest son sighed, voice conveying no small amount of criticism, "You mean you didn't even offer it to him?"

"Ed, that diamond's worth a fortune, even before you spare a thought towards sentimental value. Emmett's wife would have it sold ages before we petitioned for its return in the divorce settlement," he reasoned with accuracy.

Edward took one last appreciative look at the ring before pushing it into the pocket of his jeans, "It's perfect," he confirmed, giving a quick nod of thanks, "But we need to talk about the way you treat Em."

"I threat your brother just fine," the blonde squared his shoulders.

"I brought home a pregnant girl I pricked up at an abortion clinic and you were cross with me for a whole five minutes. He dropped out of college ten years ago and you still haven't fully forgiven him."

Carlisle didn't deny that, "I can rationalize the questionable decisions of my children far easier than their wasted potential."

"I understand," Edward said amicably, not aiming to make his mentor feel as though he was being attacked. To date, his only first hand concept of inner parental conflict was an unyielding love for a tiny, completely unflawed being—hardly comparable to a man who'd taken it upon himself raise three deeply broken teenagers that no one else wanted. "But I think, in Emmett's case, you'd motivate him more with your guidance than your disapproval."

The good doctor's smile was both warm and highly patronizing, "Don't worry yourself too much about your brother's support system, son. One might argue that you and your mother have catered to him quite enough."

Edward groaned, not only because it was a jab at his years of enabling but because it was entirely besides his point, "Esme nurtures anything and everything; her kids, strangers, _stray kittens_. And me throwing around money I neither needed nor wanted was hardly an active show of my love and support," he admitted his contribution and fault, "I'm not trying to blame you, Dad, or even insinuate that you hold the largest share but he needs you too."

Carlisle slumped his weight against the pale pink closet wall, "I know… I know," he muttered slowly, "It's always been so easy to look after you. I understand you. See myself in you, even. Emmett I could never quite figure out."

"I won't pretend I have a decent grasp on what goes on inside my brother's head," Edward grinned at the thought of Em's more benign antics. "But, _well_, like in the case of the ring; even if you didn't fully approve of the woman he planned to give it to, the gesture would have meant a lot," his smile turned playful, "Maybe he would have thought it special enough to second guess condemning it to Rosalie Hale."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Not too much on your agenda until later this afternoon, Doctor," a nurse, far too lively for the early hour, chirped at him as he looked over his appointments.

If the schedule was to be believed, he had a rare slow day ahead of him. He very much hoped that wasn't the case. Being steadily occupied made his shift pass quickly and he wouldn't have so much time to sit around and wish he were home with Bella.

It wasn't until late morning—after several hours of watching Dr. Whitlock shamelessly flirt with the staff and just as he was ready to lose hope of an eventful afternoon—when he thought he had found reprieve in a few of his favorite patients.

The O'Neill's were a wonderful couple that he had always looked forward to seeing. Siobhan had a few years on her husband but was timelessly beautiful, with bright blue eyes that popped against jet-black hair. From what he had gathered over friendly conversation, the two hadn't been married long but had been hesitant to put off the family they both wanted because of her age. They weren't actually Edward's patients—having preferred a female physician, but he had referred them to a fertility specialist in his father's practice after they'd struggled for a year to conceive, so he'd taken an active interest in their visits. They too were expecting a baby girl, but were much closer to their due date then he and Bella.

He went say 'hello' the moment he spotted them signing in at the front desk.

"I didn't think I'd see you two until Friday," he smiled warmly. Because of her advanced maternal age, Siobhan and Liam had weekly appointments for the duration of her pregnancy.

Liam grinned back but the dark shadows under his eyes failed to convey the carefree ease to which Edward had always attributed him. "This wasn't a scheduled visit," he smoothed his hand down his wife's back as she turned and noticed Edward as well.

"I haven't felt her move in two days," she said nervously, her hand pressing down on her abdomen in an attempt to cajole a reaction from her baby. She had been carrying twins until she miscarried one early on in the pregnancy and was understandably prone to worrying. "She's normally all over the place."

"That's not uncommon," Edward was happy to reassure, "You're only a few weeks shy of your due date and she doesn't have the room she once had. You know Irina isn't in today?"

The receptionist popped up from behind them, obnoxiously eager to have a reason to speak to Edward. The female nurses had gotten over their fear of him in record time and were back to their fawning. "They're just here for an ultrasound, Doctor Cullen. I'll get them set up with a tech."

Liam was lucky to have such good health insurance, with how often they came in. Edward didn't envy his co-worker their care. They were the type that would rush in with false labor several times before the actual event.

He could tell they were too anxious to stay and chat like he'd been hoping, so he excused himself quickly and let them go on their way. After glancing at his cell phone for the time, he sent a text to Jazz to ask if he wanted to grab an early lunch.

Instead of a response from his friend, he was paged to an exam room.

Edward didn't know why he hurried. There was nothing in the common request for his attention that suggested urgency but he felt it prickle across the nape of his neck and force his footsteps to a pace faster than was natural for him.

His somber hunch sunk to the base of his gut like a bar of lead when he walked in on the O'Neill's and one ashen-faced ultrasound technician.

"Doctor Cullen," the young man waved him into the room. His voice was the professional mask of impassive one used when being careful not to send the patient into a panic, "I'd like a… second opinion and they asked for you since Dr. Sitka isn't in. I tried the stethoscope first but couldn't-"

"A second opinion on _what_?" Liam growled, looking to Edward as though he were the only one in the room that spoke English—as irate as his partner was stiff and wide-eyed. "He won't tell us what he _thinks_ he sees."

Edward felt dread rush in and he internally cursed himself over his earlier wish for an eventful workday. He warred between the consuming want to comfort and the increasing realization that they had legitimate reason to fear.

"Sometimes it's best if they let us take a look before making a call," he told them as he all but pushed in the kid out of his way to get to the equipment.

The tech bounced out of the room the moment the doctor took over and Siobhan's previously contained tears spilt across her cheeks as she sensed the implications of him not wanting to be present when they were given the news he had kept from them. Edward made a mental note to tell the idiot exactly how he felt about his conduct the moment he was through.

The unseasoned obstetrician had never lost a fetus that had made it past its third trimester before. There had been many instances of early miscarriage, as is significantly less rare, and even a few premature births and genetic abnormalities which had ended in the babies succumbing in the NICU, and while both instances were tragic, the latter happened after he had relinquished care of his patient and the former was a well known reality of the profession.

Neither had prepared him for what he saw on the screen; for the news he was responsible for giving these excited, first time parents whom had months ago named their daughter Maggie.

His mouth felt too dry to form words but he managed to force them hoarsely, "Right now what we're looking at is the side of her chest," he indicated the darkened images on the screen, trying his hardest to keep his hands steady. He worked the transducer for several more desperate seconds until he was excruciatingly certain he hadn't missed it, "but we no longer have a heart beat. I'm so sorry, guys."

Liam went unnaturally still but his wife was making enough horrify noises for both of them. Edward had never _heard_ that kind of sorrow before.

"We made it thirty-six weeks… She's old enough to-" she sobbed at him, "Can't you get her out and- Do _something_?"

He couldn't meet her eyes and instead continued searching the lifeless projection. There was a dense bulge near the base of the cord that looked unfavorable, something he couldn't imagine having formed recently, but he wasn't going to make assumptions on a case that could implicate his fellow physician while she wasn't present to defend herself. "We'll get her out, sweetheart," he told her sadly, "but she's already gone. There's nothing we can do."

Edward was lighted-head as he watched the couple react to his prognosis and he wanted to give them privacy just as badly as he needed it himself. "I'll give you both some time," he said unnecessarily. Neither looked as though they even knew he existed. "and then we can talk about how we're going to proceed."

He took all of three unsteady steps into the hall once the door had closed behind him and walked straight into another set of scrubs.

"Fuck, dude. Are you alright?" Jasper's voice inquired as he grabbed hold of his shoulders to stabilize them both.

"Siobhan and Liam lost the baby," he choked; surprised he was still able to speak with the amount of pressure he felt on his lungs.

Dr. Whitlock took a fast step back to give the panting man space and air, "I know," he confessed sympathetically, gray eyes soft, "I came looking for you after you texted about lunch and that little shit that passed the buck was at the nurse's station running his mouth. You okay, guy?"

Edward shook head, in no position to lie.

Jasper sighed, regrettably having more experience in this department than his best friend. It should have been him that was paged, not the doctor who had a girl at home in a similar stage of pregnancy. "Yeah, I didn't think so," he struggled for something helpful to say, normally much better at comforting, "They're a great couple. It's going to be hard for them but they'll be alright, Ed. This isn't their first blow and that woman's crazy resilient."

The objective man's mind tried to gather strength from Jazz's encouragements but his thoughts went straight to the first time he'd seen his own tiny girl on that monitor; how real Elizabeth was to him, how much he loved her already. To be in the O'Neill's shoes and go home without a baby but still see the nursery Alice was helping them construct across the hall from their room… He felt an unbelievable despair settle into him at just the contemplation.

"_No_," he disagreed with everything he had in him, "No, you don't get over something like that. There's no way-"

"Fuck, Ed, calm down," Jasper crouched low in front of him so they were again face-to-face. He hadn't realized he was on the cold, hard ground of the hall until that moment. "I think you're having an anxiety attack. I should call a doctor."

Edward glared.

"Too soon? _Alright_," the blond grinned, sly but respectful, "Come on, lets get you out of here."

Edward let him help him to his feet but refused to follow when he tried to walk them towards the on-call room. "I'm going to need to go back in there soon."

Jasper shook his head, "I take care of them. Go get cleaned up and I'll tell the girls up front you've left for the day."

It was only an unyielding sense of loyalty that kept him from turning on his heel and running out of the building. "I'm not going to leave them right now-"

"Ed, neither one of us are their doctor and trust me when I say they aren't going to notice or care who delivers that baby now," both men winced, "They know me just as well as you but if it makes ya' feel any better, I'll see if I can get a hold of Rina and get her over here to induce them. She likes them a bunch. She'll want to be here regardless."

Even with his face still as red as his hair from the exertion of keeping himself from falling apart, he still tried to argue.

Jazz would have none of it. "I'm not even sure I feel good about letting you drive yourself home right now," he put his foot down in a move that was unusual for him, "I'm not going to let you go back in there. It wouldn't do anybody any justice."

It was impossible logic to dance around and Edward went from determined to stay to feeling neglectful at not having accepted his shortcomings. He stared absently at his feet as he nodded.

"Go home to your girls, brother. Kitten will strong enough for the both of you."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Edward wouldn't be able to recall a single detail of the drive home if someone had held a gun to his head, but felt instantaneously better the moment he pulled into their garage. The dark thoughts that clouded his mind seemed a morbid impossibility when he was so close to having Bella in his arms, the only place he knew she was completely safe.

The sun was out in full force, beating down in stark contrast to the previous day's heavy rain, so he had expected Bella and Emmett would be outside enjoying the warmth. Having grown up in Phoenix, he found his love liked nothing more than basking in a rare heat wave like a lizard sunning on its rock. He worried about her porcelain skin, but she looked so beautiful in her ideal element that he found himself unable to plead a case against it.

What he hadn't anticipated was the sight of his brother on his knees in the middle of the courtyard next to a bucket that, after further inspection he found to be full of dirt. It sadly wasn't the strangest thing he'd caught the man-child doing over the years but even as eager as he was to seek out Bella, he still had to stop and ask.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Emmett jumped, having missed his arrival due in part to both the earphones set loud enough to be heard from several feet away and his focus on the perplexing task at hand.

He pulled the buds from his ears, sat back on his haunches and smiled up at his younger brother as though he were doing nothing more commercial than light yard work.

"If you're trying to garden, your doing it wrong," Edward added.

"Apparently..." Emmett started; a tone meant to educate that sounded truly bizarre from the source, "When we have a period of hard rain, these tiny guys come out onto the cement to keep from drowning because there's not enough oxygen in the soil," he held out a long, pink earthworm and grinned a bit wider when Edward yelped in disgust and took a leap away from the slimy critter, "and on lovely sunny days such as this one, they bake into crispy strings before they find their way back to the lawn."

Edward glanced around the long drive. There was, in fact, a rather grisly scene of death. He'd noticed this phenomenon before, but had never thought much of it past a casual request that the gardener hose them off his sidewalks for fear that the flattened, dried out bugs might stain the imported flagstone.

"And you've endeavored to save their repugnant little lives," he deduced, "Where do you get this shit?"

His giant sibling's dimples mocked him with some inside joke only Emmett seemed privy to, "Well from your Snow White over there, naturally."

The younger of the two brothers groaned when he followed Em's pointed nod and spotted Bella across the yard; tottering around with her own bucket and bending awkwardly with care for her heavy belly in order to conduct her own rescues.

"She said they're good for the yard and that she couldn't stomach letting them die so I've been helping her," he boasted importantly, "Bella's pretty flexible for a pregnant chick, moves around on her knees faster than I can."

Edward didn't even want to begin to address the reasons why he'd prefer to never hear that sentence come from Emmett ever again. "You're supposed to be looking after her and making sure she doesn't strain herself, not joining forces."

Bella's head popped at the sound of his marginally raised voice and the cheerful smile that brightened her face at the sight of him was enough to wipe the concern completely from his mind. His legs carried him straight to her, though he took more care to step around the remaining stranded worms, now that he knew her affinity for them. It was just like her to advocate for a tiny being that most would think insignificant or revolting. He couldn't imagine finding anyone more amusing and profoundly _good_ as this beautiful girl.

"Well, at least you're wearing gloves," he teased softly as she yanked them off before greeting him. He pulled her tight against his chest and found his optimism at life in general lighten as her lips planted firmly on his neck; the highest point she was able to reach with him standing at full height.

She arched back just enough to see his face, "Oh they're plenty clean. They all got rained on yesterday," the curved, full pink lips lost their playfulness after a clear look at him. Bella reached up to trace the lines of stress the day had worn into his features, the sadness there he had no skill at hiding from her. "You're home early. What's wrong?"

"Nothing now," he whispered, comforted that it was mostly true. "I missed you."

It wasn't that he aimed to keep anything from her; he just wasn't ready to repeat the experience; not when he was finally beginning to feel the ache lessen. And the young mother had too many worries on her mind as it was… he didn't want her questioning the safety of their child while she was still in her womb. Those types of concerns could drive a person mad. He knew that well since they'd come into his life and would feel it even more acutely after the blow he gave the O'Neill's.

His large hand tucked between them to stroke the blessedly healthy swell there; a life he valued second only to the women who nurtured it. Though he hadn't yet been able to feel Elizabeth's movements, Bella could, and he just barely had enough control to keep from driving her insane with questions about the small flutterings. She had looked terrified at the first noticeable signs of the being she carried but Edward's exuberant reaction had soothed her.

"How's she doing, darling?" he asked tenderly, slipping his fingers under the hem of her shirt and massaging the stretched skin, "Still nice and active for us?"

If she had seen through his avoidance, she hid it expertly. "She wiggles enough to put these worms to shame."

His smile feel like the first genuine one he'd given all day, "That's wonderful, love. I can't wait till I'm able to feel her. It won't be long now."

Because Bella was healthy, their unborn daughter was as perfect as any he'd ever seen and he realized that with them both by his side, he could appreciate how much he _had_ instead of how much he _had to lose_.

Edward pressed a kiss onto the tip of her nose before dropping to his knees. He picked up another fortunate earthworm and lowered it into the refuge of the bucket, impressing his giggling female by only gagging a little in the process.

The handsome man had next to nothing in common with the grimy mud-dweller, but he sensed they were equally lucky to have Isabella Swan in their lives.

**I hoped you liked that chapter. I made you wait long enough, right? Lol **

**I'm getting close to the 2,000 review mark. I don't know if it will be this update or next, but I can't even explain how grateful I am for all your support on this story.**

**I have no plans to do outtakes after this stories complete, as I would like to be able to dive into my other fics and even start some new project. But...**

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_**For my 2,000****th **** signed review, I will be writing an outtake for this story of the 2,000****th**** reviewer's choosing. ****It will be the only outtake****. Can be a missing scene, a lemon, the story of a secondary character; anything from the Thicker Than Blood universe. I'll be PM'ing that reviewer for collaboration.**_

_**(If you don't want to pick one, that's totally fine, just make sure you let me know. I'll continue to move along to the next person until someone's interested. Lol Don't worry about this affecting updates. It will be done at the end of the story) **_

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**I wish I could do an outtake for all of my reviewers, but we all know I'm not the fastest writer.**


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